AFLW Votes: Carlton vs Freo; Rd 7

[kruddler]

But you know the list size at the time you draft players, so you have to find ways to build a flexible playing list.

Yes, but you don't know where you will get injuries do you?

Lets simplify things and look at the 'talls' on your list.
Lets say on any given day you have FB, CHB, CHF, FF and a Ruck playing. You might also have a backup ruck option. So 6 'talls' on gameday.

OK, so how many talls do you have on the rest of your list? You'd want at least one key back and one key defender in reserve.

So now, that is 8 players who are 'talls'.

List sizes are 27 (+ 3 rookies which we'll ignore for this exercise)

so 'smalls' available is 19
If you have 21 players playing on game day. That means with your 6 talls, you have 15 smalls. Which leaves 4 smalls not playing.

4 smalls and 2 talls are not playing each week.

OK, so we lose Davey.
4 smalls and 1 tall not playing.

You get acouple of injuries to your smalls.
2 smalls and 1 tall not playing.

Harris gets suspended.
2 smalls not playing.

A concussion.
1 small not playing.

Pick the girls on form? Whoever is fit gets a game!

Lets start again, but instead of losing Davey for the year, we lost a small.
Instead of losing Harris to suspension, we lose someone else.
Still have a couple of injuries to your smalls and a concussion.

You have run out of smalls to play and are playing a tall in their spot.

Of course, you have 3 rookies to help out, but they'd be 'break in case of emergency' types generally who you don't expect much from.

Not much list management strategy going on.
Its all about luck.