Howlong coach Matt McDonald questions merits of top-six and timing of Hume league byes

The Spiders were decimated by injuries on the weekend and missing six of their best players against Jindera.

Last year's Azzi medallist Hamish Clark alongside runner-up Ben Baker, ruckman Peter Hancock and forwards Tyler Lampe and Matt Wilson all missed the clash with injuries.

Key defender Josh Senior also rolled his ankle in the opening minutes, robbing the Spiders of their most logical match-up for prolific goalkicker Trent Castles.

Castles booted eight goals to inspire his side to a ten goal win.

McDonald revealed the Spiders reserves also had six players missing through injury and had another four players injured on the weekend as well.

The first general bye in the Hume league this season was after round eight and on June 8 to coincide with the long weekend for the King's birthday.

The second general bye was after round 11 on July 8 to coincide with school holidays.

It means clubs are forced to play the final seven rounds plus finals without a break with the exception of the top two sides who get a rest in the opening week of the finals.

McDonald is one of a number of coaches who have questioned whether the league needs to revisit either the timing of the byes or consider an additional bye later in the season.

"My understanding is the league consulted with the clubs with the majority wanting the two bye weekends to coincide with the long weekend and school holidays," McDonald said.

"I get that but as a coach I feel that seven weeks plus finals is too long without a freshen up.

"I think you will find most coaches are in the same boat."

McDonald was also critical of the top-six format which heavily favours the top-two sides and disadvantages the third-placed side to enable an extra side to play finals.

RWW Giants co-coach Daniel Athanitis recently told The Border Mail that he would prefer the league revert back to the traditional top-five finals series.

With three rounds remaining the top-six looks settled although it remains mathematically possible for seventh-placed Jindera to snatch an unlikely finals berth.

The top-two is also settled with last year's grand finalists in Holbrook and Osborne guaranteed the double chance.

The care factor of clubs on whether they finish from third to sixth is ho-hum.

However, imagine for one moment if the finals series was still a top-five, it would set the scene for a thrilling climax to the home and away season.

With CDHBU in third and one game ahead of the Giants and the Spiders the stakes would be high over the last three rounds with the double chance still up for grabs.

There would also be the additional interest of sixth-placed Brock-Burrum trying to move inside the top-five at the expense of either the Spiders or the Giants.

McDonald conceded with the Spiders guaranteed a finals berth, he cared little where his side finished at the end of the home and away season.

"I reckon what Daniel Athanitis said was spot on," McDonald said.

"Once we got beat by Holbrook a couple of weeks ago we knew we couldn't make top-two so as a coach your attention quickly turns to freshening up the players.

ALSO IN SPORT

"We have got a few sore bodies, so anybody who is in doubt gets a week or two off to freshen-up.

"At the end of the day if we finish third or sixth, it doesn't really matter.

"I can see the league's argument that a top-six gives another side the chance to play finals.

"But imagine this season for instance, if there was the carrot of the double chance for finishing third there would be a stack of interest over the last three rounds.

"Also the top-five wouldn't be settled and those clubs from third to sixth couldn't afford the luxury of resting players.

"Instead we are going to get a ho-hum finish with most clubs now just focussing on freshening up players ahead of finals.

"Last year we had a really good season and finished third and were bundled out in the first week.

"So this year my mindset was if we finish third there is no advantage, the advantage we have got is getting our players fit and firing for finals by perhaps resting them."

Since the introduction of the final six in 2008, only two sides have gone on to claim the flag from outside the top-two.

Jindera achieved the feat in 2008 and again in 2011 after finishing the home and away season in third spot.

McDonald felt one of the biggest flaws of the top-six was that if you finished top-two, you were guaranteed two chances to make the grand final.

"The advantage of finishing top-two is massive when you think about it," he said.

"You are playing off to get into a grand final twice.

"The first time you play in the second semi-final and the winner is through to the grand final.

"If you lose, you still get to play in the preliminary final the following week and get another shot of getting into the grand final again.

"That's where the system is flawed.

"So in my opinion it's too big an advantage for the top-two and nothing for the rest."

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: