Comment
COMMENT
Coach Brad Scott was within his rights to lash out at anyone who suggested North Melbourne did not want to win on Friday night – but the question rightly had to be asked.
And such has been the negative response of many in the football world through the week that it almost certainly has contributed to the AFL Commission now being set to review the resting philosophy to avoid a repeat of the farce and damage to the league's integrity.
Scott's focus is on the health and fitness of his team ahead of next weekend's opening week of the finals, and the Kangaroos felt it best to rest nine players for the clash against Richmond, one in which the Tigers stormed away in the final term to win by 41 points. The Kangaroos were clearly undermanned and, in the end, this took its toll.
For all the debate over resting heading into the clash, it must be said more than 40,000 fans turned up to Etihad Stadium for the Tigers' home game. With memberships already paid for, many of the Tigers' members would not have wanted to have wasted their seat. That they were almost certainly guaranteed of winning would have encouraged them to come along.
What would be interesting to know was if there were any Kangaroos supporters who may have changed their mind late in the week and not attended.
Those who were at the game said it was an almost surreal feeling, knowing the Kangaroos did not have all of their best players out on the field.
No one doubted that the players chosen wanted to win. But the overall philosophy of the night for the Kangaroos was to have their best players be ready for an expected elimination final, also against the Tigers.
"I've been led to believe there are people who think that our intention wasn't to win the game; well, they should be ashamed of themselves," Scott said.
"We take that as a personal insult. I hope they apologise."
However, the fact that the Kangaroos had to check with the AFL about resting so many players, and whether they were in any doubt of contravening rule 29, meant the public - and commentators - were right to question the number of restings. As had been the case with Fremantle, who have made 11 changes.
When even AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says he does not like the look of mass restings, then surely there is a problem. McLachlan even floated two possible fixture reform options on Friday, one being a bye in the last week of the home-and-away season.
Up until three quarter-time on Friday night it was a close contest, but from there it was a television turn-off. One source said Channel Seven executives, having recently contributed to a record broadcast rights agreement, weren't overly happy over the resting policy heading into the game.
Scott later pointed to Kayne Turner (knocked out), Jack Ziebell (head knock) and Majak Daw in highlighting how North had attacked the contest. Again, no-one suggested the 22 who took to the field did not want to win, while the Tigers insist the contest was as physical as any other. But the Kangaroos clearly didn't have their best team out there and picked a side that almost certainly was going to lose.
"Brad can't deny that," coaching great Leigh Matthews said on 3AW on Saturday.
As a result of the decision by the Kangaroos and Dockers, which some say has made a farce of the competition's integrity, the AFL Commission is now said to be ropeable, and a change to rule 29 — playing on one's merits — is almost certainly on the way.
Just what that is remains to be seen but, no doubt, clubs, as is their right, will look for another loophole. Just as it will be the right of the public and media to question those decisions and those made by coaches, prompting more change if required. That's why football is a game of the people.
