AFL rushes in contentious substitute rule on eve of the 2021 season

The AFL is banking the threat of heavy fines will deter coaches from exploiting a loophole that exists in the new substitution rule introduced on the eve of the 2021 season.

The bench is about to get busier this season. Picture: Sarah Reed

The AFL is banking the threat of heavy fines will deter coaches from exploiting a loophole that exists in the new substitution rule introduced on the eve of the 2021 season.

Just a week after AFL coaches raised the prospect of introducing a substitute for concussed players, the league’s football operations manager Steve Hocking confirmed a 23rd man would be introduced for the 2021 season.

But clubs will be able to substitute players for injuries as well, which is where concerns have been raised about the prospect of clubs being able to exploit the new rule to unleash fresh footballers late in matches.

The latest of rule changes occurred just three years after Hocking said the league would no longer make alterations later than October, though clearly there was a COVID-19 caveat associated with the 2020 season.

The introduction of the substitute follows consternation surrounding the impact of reducing interchange rotations from 90 to 27 while lengthening quarters back to 20 minutes for the 2021 season.

Concussed players cannot be selected for 12 days. Under the new rule, an injury forcing the use of a substitute should be deemed serious enough to constitute at least that long on the sidelines as well.

But the wording of the rule stipulates a doctor must be “reasonably determined” an injury will keep the player out for at least that long. History shows the severity of some injuries can be difficult to assess until a scan.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is mindful coaches will be closely analysing the new rule, which will be tested for the first time when Richmond hosts Carlton at the MCG to open the 2021 season on Thursday night.

Clubs will have until an hour before the start to nominate a substitute from their emergency list.

“Well, that’s part of the contest, isn’t it? I think we’re all realistic to know that once a stake goes in the ground, everyone looks at it from different angles,” he said.

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Not everyone is convinced it is needed.

North Melbourne great Wayne Carey believes it could be exploited for form reasons, though that would require the club’s doctor to breach guidelines.

“They could be somewhere out there, halfway through the second quarter, not getting anywhere near it,” he said on Triple M.

“The coach just thinks, ‘Well, he’s not going be playing for a couple of weeks anyway, that’s how bad he’s going, (so) let’s get him off and get someone else on’,” he said on Triple M.

A day after Richmond coach Damien Hardwick backed the concept, Tigers senior adviser Neil Balme said he was not certain the rule change was “probably not absolutely necessary” aside from concussion.

“Clearly there will be some challenges when, at the end of the third quarter when one of your guys is not playing well and you bring on a fresh guy, is that an advantage to you that the other team can’t match?” he said on SEN.

“There is all that stuff to think about. If that happens, they will be expecting the player replaced to miss the next week, but I think they would give them the opportunity to perhaps an application to see that, if he is right, he is allowed to play.”

AFL football operations manager Steve Hocking said clauses associated with bringing the game into disrepute and conduct unbecoming or prejudicial to the competition should prove a sufficient deterrent.

“There’s a safeguard in place within the AFL rules,” Hocking said.

“The club doctors are empowered through this. They need to make the decision. We’ve also got our chief medical officer at the AFL.

“In the case of a player potentially recovering sooner than expected ... the club doctor can provide a medical certificate and further proof, if required, by the chief medical officer of the AFL.”

It has been estimated the additional match payments for a 23rd player, who will actually wear the club tracksuit instead of the green vest worn when substitutes were last used, would cost the competition around $3 million in 2021.

It will cost at least $110,000 per club, plus additional bonus incentives, during the regular season and more for those competing in finals.