I must admit, viewing the footage live last night there didn't seem to be much in Jacob Surjan copping a slight knock to his head from the hip of the West Coast player.

Now it makes sense!

If you didn't just watch Brian Taylor's sleuthing discovery on Fox Sports, it appears the Port doctors have rushed onto the field w/ stretcher in tow for Surjan even though he is on his feet and regrouping for the kick-in.

He's been given word by one of the doctors to lay down again! Hops on the stretcher, neck brace and all, and is carried off the ground.

Cheeky cheeky.

I saw it last night too and heard the commentators say that Surjan was on his feet before the doctors came out. I thought it was fishy but that nothing would be done about it. Surjan should be fined for staging and the highest-ranking person responsible for giving the order for the stretcher to be taken our should be forced to quit his job. If that's Mark Williams, then so be it.

Question!

I`ve heard 2 experts (Walls and Healy) state that once you get stretchered off you are gone for the game. This is the ruling I have always been aware of, particularly if you are not taken off thru the gates of the interchange. If that`s the case, why was Brad Green allowed back on the ground last week? Can anyone explain the correct ruling?

And just quietly, there is no doubt that Williams was trying stop the flow of West Coasts run with 4 minutes left on the clock.

Question!

I`ve heard 2 experts (Walls and Healy) state that once you get stretchered off you are gone for the game. This is the ruling I have always been aware of, particularly if you are not taken off thru the gates of the interchange. If that`s the case, why was Brad Green allowed back on the ground last week? Can anyone explain the correct ruling?

And just quietly, there is no doubt that Williams was trying stop the flow of West Coasts run with 4 minutes left on the clock.

I thought it was 20 minutes, or the rest of the quarter or something like that

I thought it was 20 minutes, or the rest of the quarter or something like that

I've heard various commentators over the years and until tonight, when Healy said "the rest of the game," the only number I've ever heard them say was 20 minutes (which makes sense since that's as long as a quarter goes for), so I'm betting it's that. Healy probably just said "the rest of the game" because it happened with about ten minutes to go (ie 20 minutes is the rest of the game in this instance.)

Edited April 5, 201015 yr by Chook

It is definitely the rest of the game, as Brad Green was stretchered off in Round 1 but came back on.

I am pretty sure it is 20 min.

However, on the topic of staging for frees, it happens all the time, on the topic of time wasting, it happens all the time, and on the topic of using a stretcher to waste time or slow down momentum, it has happened before. Both Thomas and Healy and HIrd all said it has been used before.

If we are gong to fine people, so be it, but it wont stop it. There is no reason to stop it, as it has happened once now and we are talking about it, but has never been brought up. We dont need the AFL to overreact again and change rules all because of one incident. Knowing the AFL they will change the rule and bring in something stupid like the interchange rule they brought in last year because of 1 or 2 mistakes.