Our Position: A fixture that works for players

By Ian Prendergast

As someone who loves footy, I admire the fact that the game is faster, more physical and more tactical than ever before.  The modern day battle that players compete in is an extreme test of fitness and skill, and a joy to watch.  

Speaking with players, the game has also become more taxing than ever before and with the season now played over 24 rounds the physical exertion is certainly taking its toll. 

Players are working harder, for longer.

Hawthorn hard man Luke Hodge recently made comments, in the Record, which eluded to the effects that the new rules are having on players.

"I've never been this fatigued at this time throughout the season," said Hodge.

"The bye is in two weeks and I'll be looking forward to it... Speaking to a lot of boys and blokes from other teams, you can really feel how fatigued they are even, as I said it's only three-quarters of the way through the season."

For AFL players, the professionalism of the game in terms of the demands placed on players with respect to preparing for and competing in games has without question increased dramatically in recent times, particularly following the introduction of the new substitute rule.

The sub rule has meant players are spending more time on the ground and competing more under fatigue, with the cumulative affect being that greater pressure is now placed on a player's recovery from week to week.

Unfortunately, this has led to many players relying heavily on the two designated byes provided this season to rest their bodies.

We are also seeing more players missing games due to soreness.  In the interest of the integrity of our game we want to see the best players on the field as often as possible.  This will also allow fans to watch their favourite players more often, ensuring they are treated to the greatest possible spectacle.

It is also the view of the players that this time is important for inexperienced teams whose young bodies are more susceptible to fatigue, hopefully allowing them to compete for longer periods of time when it counts on the weekend, especial later in the season.

For these reasons, players believe that it is critical that the two byes be maintained into the 2012 fixture. They are keen to work closely with the AFL to explore ways this can be achieved.

AFL players are born to compete.  Let's make sure they are given every opportunity possible to do just that for their clubs, in as many games as possible throughout the season...