EFL: Blackburn to juggle its best team inside the player points system

BLACKBURN coach Brendan Allen concedes the Burners could be forced to drop players throughout the season as they continue to squeeze their best team inside the player points cap.

Tyler Faulkner is ranked a one-point player at Blackburn. Picture: Hamish Blair

BLACKBURN coach Brendan Allen concedes the Burners could be forced to drop players throughout the season as they battle to squeeze their best team inside the player points cap.

Blackburn and Montrose averaged the most player points across the Eastern Football League in the first two rounds in Division 1, fielding an average side of 46.5 points a game.

Allen said he expected Blackburn would be close to the cap of 47 points for the season.

“It would be a nice thing if I didn’t have the headaches of it but we’re going to be in and around that mark most of the year essentially,” Allen said.

“That’s with previous recruits, et cetera, a couple of people wanting to come to our club, which we’ve facilitated, and we’ve had three or four VFL listed players with us every week so that sort of jams our points up every week as well.”

Allen said the player points system had created selection headaches, but understood its role in community football.

Montrose has averaged the equal most player points in the first two rounds. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“At some point I think that’s going to come where you have a really good VFL player or a Blackburn-listed player with high points having to run around in development,” he said.

“It puts pressure on higher pointed players to maintain their form ... the five or six that have high points, (if) you get, for example, a Jacob Ballard back from Richmond, which nearly happened last week, he’s in your best 22 every day of the week.

“The least performing of that lot obviously get shuffled down so it gets competition going as well.”

Montrose coach Peter Bastinac expected the Demons’ would be able to manage its players inside the points cap.

“When we went and recruited we wanted to make sure the guys we recruited were going to be able to play,” Bastinac said.

“We’re not in a position to let blokes play development when they are senior footballers, that defeats the purpose of getting them into your club.

“You want them playing seniors and you want them developing the youth that you’ve got at your footy club.”

Norwood averaged the least player points in Division 1, fielding a side worth 30 points in both its games.

Only Jamie Bennell (six), Dylan Feltham (three) and Tyson Fiedler (two) have been valued at more than one point.

In Division 2, Mulgrave has remarkably has fielded an average side worth 23 points, with Todd Kenny (two) the only player ranked more than one point.

Fair Park was the only club Division 3 or 4 club to average more than 40 points across the first two rounds.

AVERAGE PLAYER POINTS (after Round 2)

Division 1

1. Blackburn (46.5)

2. Montrose (46.5)

3. South Croydon (46)

4. Noble Park (46)

5. Balwyn (45.5)

6. Vermont (45)

7. Doncaster (42.5)

8. East Ringwood (43.5)

9. Rowville (40.5)

10. North Ringwood (40)

11. Knox (35)

12. Norwood (30)

Division 2

1. Mitcham (43.5)

2. Mooroolbark (43)

3. Doncaster East (42.5)

4. Park Orchards (41.5)

5. WantirnaSouth (41)

6. Croydon (39.5)

7. Bayswater (38)

8. Upper Ferntree Gully (32)

9. Lilydale (28)

10. Mulgrave (23)

Division 3

1. Waverley Blues (38.5)

2. Heathmont (38)

3. Chirnside Park (38)

4. The Basin (36.5)

5. Templestowe (35)

6. Ferntree Gully (34)

7. Boronia (32)

8. Warrandyte (30.5)

9. Ringwood (30)

10. Donvale (29.5)

11. Scoresby (27)

12. South Belgrave (26)

Division 4

1. Fair Park (40)

2. Silvan (38.5)

3. East Burwood (38.5)

4. Nunawading (37.5)

5. Kilsyth (37)

6. Coldstream (37)

7. Whitehorse Pioneers (33)

8. Forest Hill (32.5)

9. Surrey Park (31)

10. Glen Waverley Hawks (30)