JLT Round 2 - Blues v Pies (11 March, Monday holiday)

[Thryleon]

Short of significant injury issues with players, what is the point of picking 30 blokes then culling 4 of them 90 minutes before the game?

Take Stocker for example, why put him in the 30 if you then cull the kid....or Fas for that matter (or any of them really)

Hardly good for the psyche?

Sometimes its a test of character.  Find out if blokes are willing to do whats best for themselves, or whats best for the team.

Other times its to maximise the players conditioning.  I.e. Stocker has been told he needs to lift his physical fitness.  Why play him for half a game against the Pies when he could play 4 quarters with the Northern Blues??  Yes the intensity is different, but he would benefit from playing 4 quarters more than he would 2, unless we are simply testing him out at the level.  Even so, with that sort of question mark over his head, he is minimum 3 months away from playing AFL unless something drastic occurs requiring us to select him.


From here, the pecking order surrounding senior spots will already have somewhat formed.  This is why there are 30 blokes chosen for JLT, to keep everyone hungry and pressing for spots for round 1.