Leigh Matthews believes the medical sub rule has been overcomplicated and could lead to some sort of “scandal” later in the season.
The rule was initially introduced to act as a substitute for concussed players, but ultimately was moved to include all injuries.
Over the course of the season, we’ve seen some instances where a player has come off late in the match with a minor issue only to play the following week.
Hawthorn champion and former Collingwood and Brisbane coach Matthews suggests there could a problem down the track with this rule.
“This has been on my mind all year,” Matthew said on Sportsday.
“I just can’t work out why they complicated it and made it a medi-sub.
“We know the reason why they went to the subs. More players get removed from the game through concussion, but just make it a normal sub.
“To me it’s like a bit of a scandal waiting to happen because the idea is, concussion we understand, but if you’re injured you can come off.”
Matthews cited an example of this late in the St Kilda versus Port Adelaide match on Saturday when the Power subbed out Boyd Woodcock, who had a corked thigh, for the fresh Jed McEntee.
He has called for the former more simple sub rule to be implemented in a bid to avoid a scandalous situation.
“This is what happened in the last quarter of the St Kilda-Port Adelaide game,” Matthews continued.
“About halfway through the last quarter, the game was fairly even. Then all of a sudden Boyd Woodcock had a corked thigh and left the field. The medi-sub Jed McEntee entered the field, didn’t do much, but (gave) extra legs.
“I keep thinking to myself, imagine we get to the pointy end of the season, say finals, and it’s halfway through the third quarter and you need a bit of energy and life. So you’d be tempted to make sure you have someone with a tight hamstring or something that was enough to take them off the field.
“It’s not (quite) a scandal, it’s not that big, but why don’t we go back to the normal sub system for the finals. It should have been that way all year in my opinion. There was no way of rorting it because both coaching groups could use the sub at their leisure.
“The 23rd bloke on Grand Final day under the present system could get a premiership medallion and not take the field.”