AFL waits to see if the numbers work
AFL: League boss Gillon McLachlan has hinted an increase to interchange bench numbers is unlikely before next month’s season restart.
The AFL is weighing up the addition of one or two more interchange players, potentially increasing team lists up to 24 on match day, but McLachlan says extended interchange benches aren’t in the mix for the start of Round 2 in another fortnight.
“We’re staying flexible,” he told 3AW yesterday. “If we need, we’re going to be agile ... but at the moment, with reduced quarters, we don’t need them.”
Quarters have been reduced to 16 minutes, from 25 minutes, plus time-on for the rest of 2020.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson flagged adding an extra player to be used as a “substitute” on limited game time.
“It’s extraordinary, the coaches fought against the sub for so long but now we’ll probably give some consideration to use him like a sub,” Clarkson said, adding that additional bench numbers made it more difficult to manage rotations and game time.
“Four on the bench is probably about right for us,” he said.
“If we had a fifth or sixth ... they’d really roll into there if there’s an injury .... we’d like to think we could debut some kids and use him as that sub player.”
Carlton coach David Teague said he wanted to see the league’s best players get as much game time as possible, and adding players to the bench would reduce those available for scratch matches.
“If we add two more on the bench you might end up with the best players sitting on it for a bit longer,” he said.