NORTH Melbourne has been given permission by the AFL to rest up to 10 players in Friday night's clash against Richmond, declaring fatigue and injury were the club's primary concerns at the selection table this week.
The Kangaroos will face the Tigers in an elimination final in Melbourne if they lose Friday night's clash, but they risk travelling to Adelaide to face the Crows in the first week of finals if they win.
Fremantle has earned the right to rest: Broadbent
Richmond must seek to win Friday night’s match or it also faces the prospect of travelling to Adelaide for an elimination final if the Western Bulldogs beat the Brisbane Lions and the Crows beat Geelong on Saturday.
If Richmond wins on Friday night, the Crows would likely be unable to improve their ladder position with a win over the Cats, and would have to travel to Melbourne for an elimination final.
Like Fremantle, which will rest up to 11 players in round 23, North Melbourne CEO Carl Dilena said securing a finals spot had given the Kangaroos the right to prioritise preparations for a flag tilt.
"The fatigue and injury status of our players will be the main consideration for team selection this week," Dilena said in a statement on Friday.
"At this stage, our initial assessment indicates that we may look to rest up to 8-10 players that played in round 22 against the Bulldogs.
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"We have been in contact with the AFL regarding this process and have been given approval to go down this path should we need.
"Player management is critical all season, but more so now on the eve of another finals campaign."
Speaking before the Kangaroos released their statement on Thursday morning, AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said the League was comfortable with teams resting players as long as they weren't seeking to manipulate aspects of the competition.
"It goes to heart of why they're doing it … I get that if they're doing it because it improves their chance of success," he told Radio Sport National.
"Players at this time of year would be battered around for a while and may have been carrying things for a long period of time.
"If they think [a rest] aids their success and it's not about changing draft order or manipulating something like that – and they're open about it – then I think we understand that."
Dilena said the Kangaroos would stay in touch with the AFL on Thursday ahead of its team selection.
He said the club understood the repercussions the decision would have on VFL affiliate Werribbee, which has qualified for finals but will now be without a number of key players.
"This is an unprecedented situation and we have to do what’s best for our players in the circumstances," Dilena said.
Star forward Drew Petrie told AFL.com.au’s AFL Exchange podcast on Wednesday that the rested players wouldn’t necessarily come from North’s veterans.
“I’m definitely playing, Boomer’s playing, there’s heaps of the old boys playing,” he said.
