Smokey, if nothing else, staying alive in the Nab Cup puts our brand on television. Even if we can't knock off Carlton and Collingwood as you say, what is wrong with at least fielding a team that can compete with them.
Give the fans some hope. Give the fans some incentive to plonk down their hard-earned at the turnstile for what used to be (and still should be) a game that's covered by our membership costs.
As for the suburban/rural grounds. I'm not saying the ovals themselves are necessarily MORE condusive to injury (though they could be in some cases.) (And Dubstep Dookie, the Alice Springs reference was to the debilitating effects of the climate and travel, not the ground itself. )
Smokey,my point is: if the reason we always approach the NAB Cup with an inexperienced squad is to minimize the risk of injury to senior players, then it's counter-productive and a waste of time. Beacause at some point you have to roll the players out anyway to get them match-conditioned for the season proper.
So why not just field your best team in the Nab Cup anyway? I'm sure the fans, like me, want to see the boys have a real dip at scum like Coll and Carl, and not get blown away and be the laughing stock YET AGAIN.