Bye weekend in doubt
THE AFL will review the controversial pre-finals bye amid ongoing calls for the concept to be scrapped.
Acting football operations manager Andrew Dillon said yesterday that the bye had its merits, but the AFL would formally review the pros and cons anyway.
The bye weekend before the opening week of the finals was introduced last year to stop September-bound teams rest- ing large numbers of players in Round 23.
Hawthorn’s four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has been prominent in his criticism.
“I think it’s an enormous disadvantage finishing top four and winning your first final and playing one game in three weeks leading into a prelim,” Clarkson said.
Dillon said the AFL “would certainly look at it”.