Craig clarifies support for subs
Neil Craig says substitutes would suit the interests of fairness but has no opinion on the actual make-up of numbers on the interchange bench
The Crows were reduced to two fit players on the bench in the first term at the Gabba when Chris Knights (hamstring) and Bernie Vince (knee) suffered injuries.
Craig said after the game that he supported the idea of substitutes to replace injured players on the interchange bench, to keep "a degree of fairness" in the contest.
A report in the Advertiser on Monday said Craig had backed Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse's call to add two substitute players to the four already on the interchange bench.
However, the Crows coach told afl.com.au on Monday morning that he had no firm opinion on the number of players that could potentially make up a new interchange system.
"I was asked a question about [the use of] a substitute player and I just made the comment that, if the AFL are looking for a degree of fairness to try and keep sides with equal numbers of players available that the concept of a substitute player for injury makes sense," he said.
"Whether it should be four interchange players plus a substitute, three and two substitutes or two and two, I don't have an opinion on because I haven't given it too much thought."
Craig said he had no issue with the way his comments were reported in the Advertiser and said that a revamped interchange bench with substitutes may not have completely solved the Crows' predicament at the Gabba.
"Yesterday's situation was unusual. It's what I call an outlier; an outlier being unusual to have two people injured, so early in the game and in hot conditions," he said.
"Even yesterday, say we had one substitute player you could still argue that we could use that player and still be one man down on the bench. You're never going to be able to cover all instances."