AFLPA President Patrick Dangerfield believes the gruelling length of the AFL season has contributed to the league’s mounting injury toll.
Numerous sides have been decimated by injuries to key players throughout the course of the season, and Dangerfield has explained how shortening the length of the games or campaign could help diminish the attendance in the medical room.
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“I think it’s something that needs to be reviewed,” the Geelong superstar told SEN’s Whateley about the length of the season and matches.
“Twenty-two games I see as too many anyway, but the length of the game is a conversation piece that needs to be had.
“It’s not about robbing fans of the 120 minutes of footy that they get at the moment.
“What’s robbing the fans at the moment is you’re not getting to see the best players because of injury and I think it is linked back into length of season, length of games and the demands players are put under.
“I suppose it (the injury toll) is really highlighted when you see the best players in the game go down and that is just a reality because that’s who the fans go to see.
“We want those players playing.
“I think it has been quite concerning because it is such a demanding game we have, it’s the longest preseason in world sport and then the season itself is seriously lengthy.
“We want our best players playing in finals and unfortunately we are not going to get that this year.”
Dangerfield also advocated for a shorter preseason competition.
“I don’t think we need as many games as we currently have,” he said.
“We had two last year, plus AFLX. I wouldn’t see any issue in playing one preseason game to be honest because most teams play a fair amount of match simulation in the lead-up to the season anyway.”
Listen to Patrick Dangerfield's chat with Gerard Whateley on SEN's Whateley in the player below