Reserves players and League match time

[Sojourner]

One common thread that I notice with some of the SANFL sides that are really struggling is the suggestion from members / supporters that the club should give up on the rest of the season and promote as many junior - reserves players to the league side to give them game time.

The two major problems that I see with this are one that it would be "tanking", deliberatley not choosing your best side which I feel would adversley affect the morale of the club both in the playing group and supporters. If the side isnt winning and is playing poorly, to send out an even worse group of players is only going to result in bigger beltings on the ground.

two is that I am not sure of the expected gain of giving reserves players league match time. If the player was up to the standard of the SANFL then they would get picked, yet if they are not a likely result is consistantly losing your postion against better opponents. Suppose a player does that over the rest of the season, what is it that happens in the off season that then transforms that player into one that can win their position in the leauge side?

[Mickyj]

An interesting topic Sojourner .The Eagles including 2006 have always fielded Youngsters with RON at the helm .
The biggest drawback is when they get selected for state duties .
Players like Stokes have come in and had an impact straight away .

[bayman]

it can't be tanking when there isn't a draft (i know the mini draft but you wouldn't tank for that), in the 'old days' it was called 'blooding the youngsters' & well why wouldn't you blood them ? a bit of pain now to progress next year & beyond is well worth it i would have thought


ps, the only team that should be blooding atm is west