Nick's Collingwood Bulletin Board

Having Stevo and possibly Wells playing in the VFL will be a perfect preparation for the finals.

Things are actually beginning to fall into place.

mattdally wrote:Good luck to Stevo playing VFL on Saturday.
Added bonus of a game under his belt before finals.

Go Pies!!

Wait, how? Isn't his suspension inclusive of this week's AFL game, thus rendering him ineligible for VFL too?

Great news though if true, I'd been worried about him coming straight back in for a final without match practice.

Edit: Okay I just read it here and ... lol.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/ ... -play-vfl/

It had been understood Stephenson's 10-match gambling ban, which also kept him from playing in the VFL, would sideline until the Pies' first match of the AFL finals series.

But the league has confirmed Stephenson's ban ends with the final siren of Friday night's Collingwood-Essendon clash at the MCG, allowing him to get crucial match practice against Box Hill on Saturday afternoon.

Sounds like bullshit, but not complaining haha.

His suspension finishes friday night when pies complete the game against the bombers. VFL play Saturday.

It's fortunate we have the Friday night game for rd23.

^ Is there any precedent for that? A player getting suspended and then playing the next week in the VFL because the game is scheduled after the AFL match? Seems dubious.

Well, MMM just stated on the news break that was what was happening. So I can only take it on face value

And confirmed on the AFL site. link below.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-21/ ... fl-return-

The fact that the AFL had to 'rule' anything and that this wasn't already presumed to be the case indicates to me that they're making an exception for him. Otherwise, this wouldn't in any way, shape or form be an unusual situation for suspended players to find themselves in.

David wrote:^ Is there any precedent for that? A player getting suspended and then playing the next week in the VFL because the game is scheduled after the AFL match? Seems dubious.

Firstly excited Stevo is playing, but as David mentioned, is this a dangerous precedent.
If a player is suspended, it should be for the round, so regardless of which day their reserves are playing the player should not be eligible.
So imagine all the clubs will now want more and more Friday games, so any of their players coming off suspension can play the following day (or Sunday) in their reserves.
And bad luck for those AFL teams playing on a Sunday, their suspended player has to wait for the following week.
Not sure if I am OK with this decision.

^LOL.

Since when was the AFL a professional run organisation.

It is policy on the run as much as today's politics.

Another prime example is the "Studs up" rule. Howe did the same thing as Reiwolt. But because there was a bigger outcry, they change the rule.

Pfft. They don't know what "professional" or "fair" means. The whole comp is a compromise.

If AFL,s every decision meant their directors would have food on the table

They would STARVE

To be honest, I don’t necessarily see why a player suspended at AFL level shouldn’t be able to play VFL to begin with. But yeah, their selective interpretation of rules is mind-boggling at the best of times.

FFS peoples, it sounds like some of you are pissed off that Stevo is allowed to play VFL this weekend.

Let's just rejoice and wish him well.

RudeBoy wrote:FFS peoples, it sounds like some of you are pissed off that Stevo is allowed to play VFL this weekend.

Let's just rejoice and wish him well.

I agree!
Enjoy having a bit of luck for once!
Good luck Stevo! Break a leg......... no don't!
Please don't

The Devil may well be in the detail... was the suspension to cover 10 senior matches or 10 weeks? I daresay there will be some outcry over this which will prevent it happening in future.

Either way, I don't see clubs necessarily looking to take advantage of it by playing a suspended player in VFL, risking injury and providing a day or 2 less recovery before being eligible for seniors again. The quirk for us is the bye before finals providing ample recovery.

According to photos, he's spent his time doing more than training, got some interesting new ink on his left forearm which wasn't there recently.