AFL legend Leigh Matthews says Fremantle and North Melbourne’s decision to rest players for their round 23 clashes is disrespectful.
Matthews warned fans would get a “second-rate product” from the games, with the Dockers resting 11 players and the Kangaroos omitting nine.
North’s move to omit a swag of stars from tonight’s match against Richmond is likely to end Adelaide’s outside hopes of gaining a home final (the Crows would have needed results to go their way, including North defeating the Tigers).
The move has prompted the Crows to seek clarity from the AFL on clubs’ obligations.
A defiant Kangaroos coach Brad Scott last night dropped a total of nine players – Nick Dal Santo, Jarrad Waite, Michael Firrito, Andrew Swallow, Shaun Higgins, Todd Goldstein, Sam Wright, Ben Cunnington and Scott Thompson – for the Roos’ clash on Friday night with Richmond.
Adding to the intrigue, only Dal Santo, Waite and Goldstein were officially listed as ‘managed’, with the rest listed with various injuries as the reason for their omissions.
North’s oldest and most-experienced player, 37-year-old Brent Harvey, was not rested.
The Tigers, also bound for the finals, took a different selection tack and made just one change, strengthening their team with the addition of captain Trent Cotchin, returning from a back injury.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon went two better than the Roos and told 11 players, or half his team, that they wouldn’t have to make the trip to Adelaide to take on the Power on Saturday, with two of those changes due to injury.
Skipper Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin, Aaron Sandilands, Michael Johnson, David Mundy, Lee Spurr, Danyle Pearce, Stephen Hill and Chris Mayne have all been rested, while Cameron Sutcliffe (shoulder) and Jon Griffin (hamstring) are injured.
Three Fremantle players – Ethan Hughes, Brady Grey and Connor Blakely – will make their AFL debuts.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said the mass changes raised questions about the competition’s integrity.
“I can certainly understand, as a coach, the management position the teams are in,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.
“I have a little bit of a question about the integrity of the competition.
“Anything that I think affects ladder position, or draft position, in my view is affecting the competition’s fairness.
“If that’s the case, I’m not sure the AFL would be pleased with those sorts of results.”
Hinkley said the tactics of the Dockers and North Melbourne were within the rules.
“No-one is doing anything outside of the rules. And they’re doing everything right for their football teams, which I respect,” he said.
“I fully understand why any coach in the top eight would be trying to do what they’re trying to do, which is get themselves in the best position – the idea (is) to get in the grand final.”
AFL legend Matthews was unimpressed.
“There’s no doubt both Fremantle and the Kangaroos are disrespecting their round 23 fixtures,” Matthews told 3AW’s Sports Today program on Thursday night.
“Fans who pre-paid for their tickets are getting a second-rate product in a lot of the games this weekend.”
Matthews said members of the AFL integrity commission had become tipsters who were banking on the Western Bulldogs to defeat cellar-dwelling Brisbane at the `Gabba on Saturday.
“I’m amazed that the AFL think they can predict the results of games,” Matthews said.
“We know Fremantle can’t move, but the Kangaroos can move (on the ladder) and the only reason the integrity committee thinks it’s okay is they believe the Bulldogs will definitely beat the Lions.
“The league has to find a way I think, for clubs to be more respectful of each fixture.”
The eighth-placed Kangaroos face the Tigers (5th) on Friday night and if results go as expected, they will meet again in the first week of the finals.
But if Sydney are upset by Gold Coast or the Lions can cause a boilover against the Bulldogs, there could be ramifications for all clubs outside the top three.
Fellow AFL great Kevin Bartlett said clubs were within their rights to rest players, but called on the league to change the rules.
“The AFL might as well rip up those rules because North Melbourne they’ll finish eighth, but by losing this game they know who they’re going to play next week and they completely stuff up the Crows,” Bartlett told the Nine Network.
Carlton premiership coach David Parkin said the integrity of the competition had been “somewhat degraded”.
– AAP
