I may be in the minority...a small one it seems ;D
But as I mentioned earlier I like the idea of a break before the finals.
It's just a personal feeling, but lately I've found the transition from the last round of H&A into the first week of the finals to be a bit unexciting...it just seems to roll into that period and to me the first week of finals feels more like another round rather than the start of a new section.
Resting players to be ready for finals is OK, preferable actually .....but there can be ramifications in terms of ladder, draft position and finals opponents when sides are going at half pace.
Where do you draw the line and say one team resting players is OK "there will be no effect on the 'integrity' of the competition".....but another team can't do it because it could alter positions.
If every team has a break it becomes much fairer.
Some suggest a bye round may affect fan/supporter interest?
So make it interesting. Fill it with something football.
Awards, exhibition matches.
State games are probably out of the question as a lot of the best players would be preparing for finals.
Teams already out of contention would be sending players off for surgery and rests and it would be hard to get the players up for something like a 'nines' competition...
....but what about something like an U/18 All Australian match.
Rather than announce the U/18 AA side at the carnival have two teams of the best players from that competition play out in an effort to gain All-Australian honours through the bye week.
We get to highlight the best junior talent prior to (and much closer to) the draft.
The interest in these kids would be much greater at that time of year than it was back at Carnival time.
Would we not be interested in watching Weitering vs Schache knowing we had pick 1?
Club supporters with a fair idea of their actual draft picks would get an equal kick out of watching possible selections.
Make it the All/Australian weekend with awards and the selection of the senior All-Australian side.....lots of possibilities.
But as I mentioned earlier I like the idea of a break before the finals.
It's just a personal feeling, but lately I've found the transition from the last round of H&A into the first week of the finals to be a bit unexciting...it just seems to roll into that period and to me the first week of finals feels more like another round rather than the start of a new section.
Resting players to be ready for finals is OK, preferable actually .....but there can be ramifications in terms of ladder, draft position and finals opponents when sides are going at half pace.
Where do you draw the line and say one team resting players is OK "there will be no effect on the 'integrity' of the competition".....but another team can't do it because it could alter positions.
If every team has a break it becomes much fairer.
Some suggest a bye round may affect fan/supporter interest?
So make it interesting. Fill it with something football.
Awards, exhibition matches.
State games are probably out of the question as a lot of the best players would be preparing for finals.
Teams already out of contention would be sending players off for surgery and rests and it would be hard to get the players up for something like a 'nines' competition...
....but what about something like an U/18 All Australian match.
Rather than announce the U/18 AA side at the carnival have two teams of the best players from that competition play out in an effort to gain All-Australian honours through the bye week.
We get to highlight the best junior talent prior to (and much closer to) the draft.
The interest in these kids would be much greater at that time of year than it was back at Carnival time.
Would we not be interested in watching Weitering vs Schache knowing we had pick 1?
Club supporters with a fair idea of their actual draft picks would get an equal kick out of watching possible selections.
Make it the All/Australian weekend with awards and the selection of the senior All-Australian side.....lots of possibilities.