Geelong coach Chris Scott has called on the AFL to do-away with the sub rule after the Cats were caught in a tricky position with Jeremy Cameron in Saturday’s grand final. The Cats are fairly certain Cameron broke his arm in the decider at the MCG, but didn’t sub him out of the game because they couldn’t be 100 per cent sure.
Once a player is officially subbed out and the substitute player activated, the first player can’t come back into the contest. Cameron was carrying his arm at an awkward angle after he was injured in the second quarter, but played on bravely and made a courageous one-arm tackle on Jaspa Fletcher in the third term.
Chris Scott (R) wants the sub rule scrapped after Geelong were caught in a tricky spot with Jeremy Cameron (L). Image: Getty
Cameron headed off the field for treatment at one point, but actually ended up finishing the game. The Cats chose to sub out Rhys Stanley instead, who overcame a hamstring issue to play in the grand final.
Mitch Cleary of Channel 7 posted a photo of Cameron with his arm in a sling in the rooms after the game and wrote: “The expectation from the Geelong rooms is that Jeremy Cameron has a broken arm. Family consoling him with his right arm in a sling.”
Cats captain Patrick Dangerfield revealed after the game: “It’s one of those things, it’s a grand final so you do whatever you can. But I heard a pretty big snap during the game. He looks pretty sore. He’s obviously a pretty important player for us and it was a big hit.”
Jeremy Cameron played out the game with a suspected broken arm. Image: Getty
Geelong coach wants to see the sub rule scrapped
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Cats coach Scott made a stunning call for the AFL to get rid of the sub rule. The AFL’s new footy boss Greg Swann is considering scrapping the rule next year and changing it to a fifth player on the bench.
On Saturday, Scott said he didn’t want it to “sound like sour grapes” after the 47-point loss, but admitted he’ll be “rapt to see the back of the sub rule”. He said: “I think we all (would like to see it scrapped), and I’m at the head of the queue.
“Besides the seriousness of the injury, the challenges there make planning difficult. We were waiting and waiting and waiting and it didn’t feel like we could make that sub, until we had some clarity there. In the heat of the moment it’s hard to work out, is it a crack? Is it a decent break? Can he play, can’t he? And that took a long time to work out.
“Obviously he was heavily limited from late in the second quarter. I don’t think you have any choice but to submit yourself to the medical team and give them the space to do what they have to do.”
In complete contrast, the Lions used the sub rule to perfection, injecting Lachie Neale into the game in the third term. Neale completed a fairytale comeback after thinking his season was over just three weeks ago.
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Brisbane Lions stamp themselves as AFL’s best again
The Lions produced a stunning second-half display to win back-to-back premierships, after the score was knotted at 36-all at the main break. The lead ballooned to over 50 points in the final term, before it ended up 18.14 (122) to 11.9 (75) in the Lions’ favour.
It gives Brisbane a fifth premiership this millennium (2001, 2002, 2003, 2024 and 2025) – the first team to achieve the feat. “It’s all about the culture,” co-captain Harris Andrews told Channel 7.
“We’ve got a really special group of guys, special staff. We wrap our arms around everyone. To see the adversity we’ve gone through this year and last year as well and to come out the other side, it’s phenomenal. It’s sort of dawning on me a little bit the journey we’ve been on since Fages got here … it’s awesome.”