Gerard Healy has called on the AFL to address the growing concern from coaches on naming a substitute in 2023.
The medical substitute is no more this season, with clubs now able to sub on their 23rd player at any given time in the match.
But recent weeks have seen several coaches voice their concern at only being able to name 22 players when teams are announced. The substitute is only named an hour before the game from the four emergencies.
Craig McRae on the weekend became the latest coach to voice his frustration at having to omit a player who then played, joining the likes of Michael Voss, Brad Scott and Damien Hardwick earlier in the season.
Healy called on acting AFL footy boss Laura Kane to make the change now.
“This is the point, make the rule change now,” Healy said in reference to McRae’s comments.
“No one wants it to stay as it is. We don’t have to wait until the end of the season.
“Be nimble, be flexible, be like we were in COVID and just change the bloody rule.
“Make the rule change.”
Meanwhile, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge used his press conference last week to put the mental health aspect of subbing players off on the agenda in calling for a five-man bench.
It came after Beveridge in Round 7 left Toby McLean on the bench for the entire game as the Bulldogs became the first club not to use their substitute.
“I hate the fact that he didn’t play at all,” Beveridge said.
“But also what we’ve got to consider is every time you see a player sit down from a tactical point of view, how hard it is for the player, and the spotlight is on him in a time where we’re concerned about mental health more than any other time.
“Players getting subbed out of the game at different times is a huge challenge for the player in particular, for the team and absolutely from a people management perspective.
“I hate the decision you have to make, and we'll absolutely make it where we need to.
“At the start I was advocating for just having five (on the bench) and no sub because that means it wasn’t so crystallised and so glaring, and you can manage the five accordingly.
“But it is what it is and Toby will be ok this week.”