I wonder if the AFL has thought this one through. I went back through the last few years injury reports and it seems that as the game has gotten faster, the number of injuries and the time missed due to injury have been trending upwards.
This year we will see the game get faster again with the new rule changes, meaning less recovery time for players. This is accompanied by a reduction in club list sizes, meaning less back up players. I think this increases the likelihood of clubs playing players who aren't 100% which could well further increase their chance of injury, and most likely increase the workload of others players also contributing to a greater chance of injury.
This looks to be shaping up as potentially the worst season on record for injuries, and for some clubs, it could mean a slide down the ladder or potentially climbing the ladder if they can keep something close to their A team on the park. Traditionally we haven't done as well on the injury front as some other clubs, if there was ever a time to improve, now would be a good time to start!
