Bye harmful to top four, say legends

TWO of this year’s AFL finals ambassadors have called for the post-Round 23 bye to be scrapped, claiming it robs topfour teams of their advantage and interrupts continuity for players.

Introduced for the first time last season, the bye came under fire from four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson last month and his views were yesterday echoed by three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse and AFL games record holder Brent Harvey. Malthouse said he was “a bit confused” why the bye existed and threw up a radical alternative.

“I wouldn’t have the bye,” he said. “The thing I would have, the last round of the year should be played identically, all over the country, the same time, so that no club is aware, outside of the information you get at quarter-time and threequarter time by your coaches, ‘listen, we need to step on the accelerator, because over in Adelaide they’re three goals in front’ or whatever the case is. I think you can do that.

“By having a bye, you really do rob the top-four sides of any advantage. I know they’ve got the double chance, but I’m not 100 per cent sure the sides that win this weekend will like having another week off — it’s quite drawn out.”

North Melbourne champion Harvey said players who were part of qualifying final wins were particularly disadvantaged by playing one game from three weekends.

“For me, my whole career was based around continuity with training and playing,” he said. “One week off, you’re advantaged because your body probably needs that rest. But you don’t need a rest two weeks after you’ve already had the bye.”