The interchange cap and removal of the substitute will change the way Luke Beveridge approaches team selection in 2016.
Speaking with Francis Leach and David Schwartz on SEN 1116’s radio in Melbourne, Beveridge said that one area the new rules will have an impact is how the Bulldogs’ comprise their forward line in the absence of Stewart Crameri in 2016.
“We obviously get Tom (Liberatore) back, we get Koby Stevens back, we lost Lin Jong for periods of the year and Tom Boyd didn’t player either, so the game is going to change with the 22 and the availability of four on the bench,” Beveridge said.
“The tactical side of the game and how you use those players will change week to week, so you can afford to go taller if you want to, you can do different things.
“I know the rotations will be down a little bit and the game will change.”
The substitute rule was introduced in 2011 in an effort to limit the number of interchange rotations per game, and Beveridge said that the changes announced last year will have a big impact on the way he coaches the game in 2016.
“In black and white terms, you haven’t been able to use the sub until you really needed it,” he said.
“You risked your whole group if you brought a sub on early, if you had another injury you were down to two on the bench.
"Whereas now, you can use it whenever you want but you don’t have to.
“You can sit the young fella there for a little while if things aren’t turning out the way you’d like, you may be able to shuffle things around and just shelve part of your role players for a period of time.
“So there’s all sorts of things that will happen.
"It’ll be interesting to see how all of the coaches manage it.
“It’s difficult to forecast the way you will [approach things], but I’ve been thinking about it and there’s no doubt it’ll have an influence.”
With the first game of the NAB Challenge just over a week away, and round one of the season proper creeping ever closer, the second year coach said that he was happy with how his side is shaping up ahead of the new season.
“Yeah, we’ve had a good preseason, slightly different from last year.
“We’ve had a few more boys who’ve had some repairs during that November period, but they’re all back in the main program now and we’re fit and healthy.
“We had a good hit-out at our Family Day on Saturday in front of the Bulldogs faithful and our build’s looking ok.”
