Adelaide’s Senior Coach Matthew Nicks has weighed in on the AFL medical substitute debate after the SANFL announced strict rules around its activation. 

The SANFL Commission on Wednesday determined that a medical substitute who takes the field in an AFL game cannot play the same round at a state level, irrespective of time spent on the ground. 

“While the AFL announced that the medical substitute player could play State League football the same weekend, regardless of whether they are activated or not, SANFL’s current rule does not allow this,” the SANFL confirmed in a statement. 

The Port Adelaide Football Club contested the decision, which is in opposition to the AFL’s position that there would be no such barrier to a substitute playing at a state level. 

Nicks said the Adelaide Football Club’s position was the same. 

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As it stands, South Australia is the only state in which the medical substitute cannot play at a state level after activation. 

Nicks argued that put the Crows at a selection disadvantage compared to other teams in the league. 

“We support Port Adelaide with their view 100 per cent,” Nicks said. 

“There are 16 teams in the competition that are able to play that substitute after being activated at an AFL level, so the two of us are at a disadvantage.”