Players plan to cut NAB Cup and add All-Star game (afl site)

[one-eyed]

Players plan to cut NAB Cup and add All-Star game
By Damian Barrett
Thu 07 Jun, 2012


THE AFL Players' Association has officially told the AFL it wants a representative match during next year's pre-season.

AFLPA CEO Matt Finnis met with AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson on Thursday to put forward the proposal.

Poll reveals players want State of Origin

The AFLPA has officially requested that a weekend be set aside for a representative game, beginning in 2013.

It is believed the AFLPA has strongly endorsed an 'All-Star' concept ahead of the traditional State of Origin format, as it believes the latter causes too many logistical problems.

Under many proposals expressed to the AFL from Finnis, shortening the NAB Cup from four weeks to three is the preferred option.

The representative game would be held in the fourth week.

The AFLPA confirmed the meeting took place and that several options relating to the All-Star game were being "talked through".

Under such a proposal, the pre-season format would look like this:

Weeks 1-3: Traditional NAB Cup

Week 4: All-Star weekend and NAB Cup Challenge matches

Week 5: Rest week for all clubs

Week 6: 2013 Premiership season - round one

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/138081/default.aspx

[Penelope]

isnt dan jackson some sort of of rep for the players association?

I thought he was supposed to be smart off the footy field?

What purpose could some all stars game have at the start of the season?

I can handle losing a player in a practice match, as they benefit the club, but not some contrived, pointless, piffle game

[mightytiges]

An All-Star game especially in the preseason would just end up an exhibition game where the footy would be uncontested and there'll be little defence. There would also be no passion for the jumper. Hardly a promotion of elite footy.

[gerkin greg]

Ever the pessimist.

I can see the poor promotion of the game now... lightning quick, play on at all costs, high flying marks, shots at goal from all angles, baulks, lookaways, the pure football played in the schoolyard and by our indigenous brothers, by the fittest, most elite players in the comp...

Swtich it off, I'm bored just thinking about it

 

[mightytiges]

Sounds good in theory until the novelty wears off and a top-line player does a knee and the clubs put pressure on their top players to start feigning being "sore" during that All-star week. Some of us remember how State of Origin died (which I loved in the 80s when it genuinely full-on). It was killed off by the best players deliberately avoiding playing representative football. Playing it in preseason provides an easy excuse for the dodgers. "Oh we played finals last year or we had so many post-season ops. so our preseason started later than usual and we are underdone so we need to be precautionary with our preparation for the start of the H/A season." The clubs dislike representative football as it puts at risk their best players whose $$$ salaries they are paying.

[gerkin greg]

Absolutely no difference doing your knee in the All Star game to doing it at Morwell in the NAB Challenge

And I remember how State of Origin died, so you're right, lets not ever try anything like that every again lmao, won't someone think of the children

[mightytiges]

While I agree preseason games are just glorified practice matches, at least in a NAB Challenge game you're working within your club's gameplan and practising new/updated structures that will be used in the real stuff as well as getting use to playing with new teammates to your club. The top players don't play in every NAB cup/challenge game anyway as we did with ours during the preseason not risking our stars travelling across the country to play Freo. You try an avoid unnecessary risks with your best players as much as practically possible. An All-Star game would be another unnecessary risk. I loved S.O.O. when I was a kid but now I care more about Richmond and us trying to win a flag(s) than some one-off game played for fun that has nothing to do with us. Each to their own.

[gerkin greg]

There is no more risk associated with an All Star game than a NAB Cup/Challenge game. FACT.

It's a lame excuse. In fact I'd say the spectacle nature of the All Star game lends less risk. This is not SoO.

I'd rather see a star player run around blowing out the cobwebs of a pre-season in a pure exhibition of skills without a bloke hanging off him in a low defensive game with less tackling, than seeing a star player tackled in his managed 20mins ground time in a meaningless game in Morwell by a mature age rookie trying to earn his senior spot and doing a knee.

And who the stuff cares about "at least in a NAB Challenge game you're working within your club's gameplan and practising new/updated structures"? That's an even lamer excuse.

[Coach]

Play it after the Granny like the NFL do. And quit bitching you gobblers.

[gerkin greg]

How dare you 

[one-eyed]

All-star concept panned
By Paul Daffey
afl.com.au
Fri 08 Jun, 2012


AFL GREAT Leigh Matthews and Sydney Swans coach John Longmire have poured cold water on the players' proposal to introduce an all-star game on the eve of the season.

The AFL Players Association presented a submission to the AFL proposing to shorten the NAB Cup fixture and introduce an all-star game to be played a fortnight before round one.

Speaking on Access All Areas on AFL.com.au, Matthews said the concept might work in its first year because the players would be excited about playing with their contemporaries from rival clubs.

"But I tell you what, in the second third and fourth years there would be a lot of injuries," Matthews said.

Matthews and Longmire both questioned why players would seek an extra bye and yet push for the introduction of an extra game.

They agreed coaches would not support an all-star game.

Longmire said: "It's a critical time of year.

"You're trying to get all your players, especially your best players, in the right frame of mind and in the right physical condition to start an AFL season."

The all-star concept is to select two captains who then pick one player after another until they've formed a team.

Despite Matthews' misgivings over the concept, he agreed to the promptings of co-host Damian Barrett to choose one player of two presented.

He selected Gary Ablett over Chris Judd and Lance Franklin over Travis Cloke. There were three more selections.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/138145/default.aspx

[Dubstep Dookie]

How dare you indeed 

[cub]

Has to be Vic V SA or All Stars or wont work "No interstow"

[mightytiges]

There is no more risk associated with an All Star game than a NAB Cup/Challenge game. FACT.

It's a lame excuse. In fact I'd say the spectacle nature of the All Star game lends less risk. This is not SoO.

I'd rather see a star player run around blowing out the cobwebs of a pre-season in a pure exhibition of skills without a bloke hanging off him in a low defensive game with less tackling, than seeing a star player tackled in his managed 20mins ground time in a meaningless game in Morwell by a mature age rookie trying to earn his senior spot and doing a knee.

And who the stuff cares about "at least in a NAB Challenge game you're working within your club's gameplan and practising new/updated structures"? That's an even lamer excuse.

Not lame according to the coaches. The clubs will also oppose the idea.

Play it after the Granny like the NFL do. And quit bitching you gobblers.

The players' CBA would prevent it as all players get 8 weeks holiday after their last game of the season.

[gerkin greg]

Not lame according to the coaches. The clubs will also oppose the idea.

Lmfao WGAF what their bias opinion is 
This is about what the two most important stakeholders in the game want
The fans and the players
Both want it
The AFL should listen