AFL: David King raises concerns about the physical price of a condensed season

David King has raised concerns about the price footballers will pay physically if the season becomes too condensed.

David King has raised concerns about the physical impact of a condensed season

A leading Australian rules analyst has raised concerns about the price footballers will pay physically if the AFL season becomes too condensed in coming months.

Former North Melbourne premiership defender David King is worried players are already struggling with the demands of an interrupted season given the number of soft-tissue injuries in recent weeks.

Geelong’s Mitch Duncan and Quinton Narkle joined the casualty ward after injuring hamstrings during the Cats’ sparkling 27-point win over Brisbane on Thursday night at the SCG.

The Cats had played last Saturday against the Gold Coast before relocating to Sydney and will now travel to Perth, where they will play for the next four weeks.

Clubs are bracing for matches to be played on minimal breaks in coming weeks, with the AFL expected to release the next phase of its fixture later on Friday.

The AFL has shortened quarters for the 2020 season to enable it to play games at a greater frequency than usual without overtaxing players.

But on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, King pondered whether the AFL was pushing the envelope too much in regards to what it was asking players to do physically this season.

“There comes a point in time where we have to protect them from their bodies as well,” King said.

“I would be at the light end of compression (of times between games). If you blow these guys up at Round 10, Round 11, what do you lose at the end of the year?”

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said there was “a tipping point” in terms of how many matches players could physically handle should the increase in frequency of games occur. He said players would need four days rest at the bare minimum to recover.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson will consider using more of his squad in coming weeks given the potential move by the AFL to condense rounds in coming weeks.

Shaun Burgoyne, the oldest player in the competition, will be rested for Friday night’s clash against Collingwood as a result of the Hawks backing up off a five-day break for the match.

When Victorian clubs headed interstate for Round 6 and beyond, it was initially believed they would play five matches before returning home.

Another two rounds of matches could be added to the schedule during the AFL’s travelling winter roadshow, which would provide the league with some leeway later in the season.

Hawthorn chief executive Justin Reeves told the ABC that “if they (AFL) need to shorten those breaks between games, we’re up for that”.

Clarkson said the Hawks and the rest of the competition were prepared to do whatever was needed to ensure the AFL made significant progress in the challenging 2020 season.

“There are significant implications for the game in terms of its future if we don’t try to get these games out reasonably quickly. We have to be really, really balanced in that. But we will do whatever the AFL sees fit to do,” Clarkson said.

“Right at this point of time, things are changing, certainly at AFL level, not as much at club level, because of government regulations. These things continue to move and as each one of them moves, then the AFL has to move with it.”

Clarkson said the Hawks had approximately 80 people, including players, travelling at the moment.

“It is a significant exercise on very hasty notice to get your whole footy club up to Sydney and get into the routine of what this environment is,” he said.

“We are foreign to this part of the country in terms of preparing for football games … and there are a whole heap of logistics we need to work our way through. It has been no drama thus far.”

Collingwood have named debutantes Will Kelly, the son of former Magpie Craig Kelly, and Atu Bosenavulagi to debut, while Isaac Quaynor will play his first game this year.

Jordan de Goey is locked in a hotel room in Perth, ruled out after being interviewed by police last Saturday and subsequently charged with indecent assault for an incident in 2015, awaiting his side’s arrival next week.

Josh Daicos is injured and Tyler Brown was dropped.

Hawthorn also made four changes, with Will Day to debut along with South Australian Josh Morris. Jon Patton and Harry Morrison also return.

Aside from Burgoyne, Jack Scrimshaw and Mitch Lewis are injured, while Harry Jones was omitted.