AFL writes off interchange notification
The AFL has tinkered once more with its player interchange policy, scrapping the controversial procedure of written notification of every substitution during a match.
AFL football operations chief Adrian Anderson confirmed the change on Wednesday - the league bowing to the wishes of clubs who believed the system introduced last week was unworkable.
From this weekend, clubs will not have to receive approval from an interchange steward for every interchange and allow the stewards to take a manual record.
Instead, the AFL's statistics provider Champion Data will provide an electronic record of all interchanges, which stewards can refer to should they have any concerns.
"The requirement of notification of an interchange before it takes place will no longer apply," Anderson said.
"Having listened to the feedback, it will no longer be necessary for our interchange stewards to write down that information, or to give approval.
"Their sole role will be to monitor the players on the field and that they go through the interchange area.
"No longer will the clubs require approval for every interchange."
The complex system was only brought in last week after Sydney had 19 players on the field during their round seven match against North Melbourne.
But teething problems marred both a trial of the system in round eight and its eventual introduction last week.
A mistake by the AFL's interchange steward at the West Coast-Adelaide match last weekend resulted in a wrongly awarded free kick and a 50-metre penalty awarded to the Crows.
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