Bench cap 'will end careers'

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson has warned an interchange cap of 80 moves per match will change the game. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE coach Brenton Sanderson wants the AFL to cap interchanges at a minimum of 120 a game next year.

And he has warned that if the league cuts the rotation number by any more, some players will have their AFL careers cut short and clubs would be forced to change their recruiting tactics.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said this morning a cap would be imposed next year but the league was yet to settle on a number of allowed rotations.

"It would certainly affect the way we pick players at the draft and how we train,'' Sanderson said of the AFL's controversial plan to cap interchange rotations in 2014.

"If they cut it by too much we would need more players between the heights of 188 and 192cm with a really good aerobic capacity.'

'Adelaide averaged a league-high 160 rotations a game last year and Sanderson conceded "we can't make any more''.

"So that's the limit, that's the maximum,'' he said. "And we wouldn't want any more than that."

But he said cutting rotations to fewer than 120 would change the nature of the game.

"If it's (down to) 130 or 120 we could live with it and it wouldn't impact on things a great deal,'' Sanderson said.

"But we rely on speed, it's a fast game with us, that's how we train our players.

"Eighty (rotations) certainly impacted us on the weekend (against Geelong). So it's important clubs get their say and they get listened to.

"I think what will probably happen is the 18 clubs will unanimously vote against it (a cap on interchanges) and it will still come in.

Bulldogs players join cap backlash

"The cap's OK, we'll play by whatever rules the AFL brings in and that won't be the issue. I guess the number is what's important.

"So we'll have to make sure that after consultation with the AFL we're all happy.''

Clubs are allowed only 80 interchanges a game in the NAB Cup as the AFL experiments with rotation capping, prompting Melbourne coach Mark Neeld to say that it had put the game back five years.

Sanderson, meanwhile, said the Crows would welcome back five first-choice players for Friday night's NAB Cup clash against Carlton at AAMI Stadium.

Jared Petrenko (shoulder) and Sam Shaw (knee) will play their first games for the season after recovering from long-term injuries while Rory Sloane, AFL Rising Star winner Daniel Talia and Ian Callinan will return to the side.

Twelve Crows players left training early on Monday after being "violently ill'' with a gastro bug, but Sanderson said all had recovered and were at training today.

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