In the 2020 JLT series (a 2 Round series) there were 13 Def Rookies played.
8 played the "Full dress rehearsal" JLT2 game
Only 4 of those debuted in Round 1: BZT, McAsey, Brander & Starcevich.
2 of those were on Saturday, in games 3 and 4. 2 were on Sunday.
In the 2019 JLT series (a Round series) there were 11 Def Rookies that played both games.
9 of those debuted in Rnd 1.
Our task was made easier to pick our teams, with Port announcing early that Rozee (D/F) and Duursma (M/D) would debut, and both were Def eligible.
So I guess we wait and see what happens in this years 1 Round Community series.
Just using 2020 as a guide, imagine this scenario.
In 2020 the teams were announced Thurs, and the Sunday teams were "finalised" Friday.
Now imagine it was this years scenario.
BZT played a Friday game.
McAsey played a Saturday game.
There were 3 games played on Sunday, and after 4 or 5 games were played, before you even saw the Sunday teams, you had 2 Def Rookies that were locked into play.
You have to wait until late Saturday afternoon, just to see if they are the only 2 Def Rookies you'll get for Round 1!!!
Don't you think it is prudent, to have a back up plan in place, pre-planned for, rather than the attitude of "Every year people panic that the Rookies won't come, but they always turn up."
Point 1 - last year of the 8 from the full dress rehearsal, only 4 played.
Point 2 - there was no junior competition last year, so most of this years Rookies are behind the 8 ball in their development, compared to previous seasons Rookies.
Point 3 - there's no Thurs night teams, with Sunday teams finalised Friday, before Fridays game is played this season.
Round 1 2021
Thurs - Rich v Carl
Before this game is played, you will know the teams/(squads?) for
Fri - Coll v Wbull
.Before this game is played, you will know the teams/(squads) for
Sat - Melb v Fre + Ade v Geel + Ess v Haw + Bris v Syd
Before the Ess v Haw + Bris v Syd games, you should know the Sunday teams/(squads?).
So there will be 4 games done and dusted, before you even know who is playing Sunday.
We still don't know for sure, if the Sunday teams being announced Saturday, or the Saturday games being announced Friday will be squads, or actuall playing 22's!!!!
If you can't see that we are sailing into unchartered waters, with less pre-season games, underdone juniors coming off a season of no football, late team announcements and final announcements, and a truly unknown quantity AND quality of Rookies, and plan accordingly, you are very likely to be cursing your SC season by the end of Round 1!
Keep in mind too, that the early fixturing is a nightmare for this scenario
Rnd 1 - Thurs 1 game, Fri 1 game, Sat afternoon 2 games, Sat night 2 games, Sunday 3 games.
Rnd 2 - Thurs 1 game, Fri 1 game, Sat afternoon 2 games, Sat night 2 games, Sunday 3 games.
Rnd 3 - Thurs 1 game, Fri 2 games, Sat aft 2 games, Sat night 1 game, Sunday 2 games, Monday 1 game.
Rnd 4 - Thurs 1 game, Fri 1 game, Sat afternoon 2 games, Sat night 2 games, Sunday 3 games.
Rnd 5 - Thurs 1 game, Fri 1 game, Sat afternoon 2 games, Sat night 2 games, Sunday 3 games.
The potential for carnage in those early Rounds has always been a thing, but with late team (or is it squads?!) announcements, the carnage news will likely hit too late for us to scramble a solution!!!!