And doing your knee in a ruck contest hurts more than getting punched in the face. What's your point?

Head high contact is illegal in the AFL no matter how minimal. Pulling an opponent's hair might not hurt as much as a tackle would but I doubt the AFL would look at it kindly. Because you lay a tackle to try and stop your opponent from getting the ball. In what context of the game would pulling a player's hair help your team?

It's got nothing to do with getting the ball, the assessment should be the potential for damage, and the potential for damage for pulling someone's hair is negligible. The AFL frowning on head-high contact doesn't apply to this case. It doesn't fall within the spirit of the rule for head high contact - that's designed to reduce potential impact to the head (as opposed to the scalp), where the potential for damage is very high. As I said, the potential damage for pulling hair is very low.

Neither does a punch to the stomach (in my experience), which was your first example.

I'd say you haven't been punched in the stomach hard enough. It can do enough damage to limit your ability to play out the game and yes, it can do long term damage. Hair pulling in the manner that Mitchell did can do neither.

I just want to make it clear that I'm not endorsing Mitchell's actions in any way, I just think calls for a suspension are going overboard.

Really don't care, but it was after Mitchell got up off the ground, I wonder why he was on the ground?

Exactly. Mitchell got up off the ground and went straight for Nason, so obviously he was retaliating to something Nason had done. Whether it warranted a hair pull, who knows.

Despite a few opinions on here, I don't think Mitchell is the sort of player that would pull hair without a reason.

Hayden Ballantyne on the otherhand.....

Another note from that game. Hawthorn wearing yellow, Richmond wearing Gold. Umpires wearing yellow.

I could have sworn Adrian Anderson getting very defensive and saying last week was a mistake and would never happen again. Yet one week later.

Hope the media get into it a bit.

Umpires wore "lime green not yellow".

Umpires wore "lime green not yellow".

Oh. I thought I heard Clarko say "yellow".

Stand corrected then if it was lime green.

Regardless it should have been "red" or just the old fashionable "white" (or "off white" as Richie would say).

Exactly. Mitchell got up off the ground and went straight for Nason, so obviously he was retaliating to something Nason had done. Whether it warranted a hair pull, who knows.

Despite a few opinions on here, I don't think Mitchell is the sort of player that would pull hair without a reason.

Hayden Ballantyne on the otherhand.....

What action could possibly have "warranted a hair pull" at AFL level?

Similar level of courage and honour to a "Hopoate" IMO - which wouldn't hurt as much as pulling African hair or dreadlocked hair but it would get anyone fired up.

If (Samantha) Mitchell and (Hayley) Ballantyne escape penalty, then it's open season on hair.

Did anyone see Sam Mitchell grab two big fistfuls of Nason's dreads and try to pull them out like he was weeding his garden? Absolutely despicable in my opinion. He should get a week for that.

I know it's got no relevance to the Demons, but come on, that's low.

Ha Ha - it reminds me of watching 'classic quarters' once - there was a Melbourne/Hawthorn match from the 80s. Big hair and little shorts. Dermie and (I think) Flower were rolling around on the ground pulling each others "do's" like two high school girls. It was funny.

I just saw the vision today. This stuff is creeping into the game of late. Years ago they would have considered the hair puller a pansy & cleaned up his dirty little attitude. Those days you stood your adversary face to face with a punch to the nose.

Hair pulling was considered girlish. I don't want this stuff coming into Australia, & falling down in a sudden gust of wind blows through. Leave this for Soccer, & lets clean it out of our game.

Give these *ricks a suspended sentence for this crap. Before this spreads through the suburbs & our game!

I just saw the vision today. This stuff is creeping into the game of late. Years ago they would have considered the hair puller a pansy & cleaned up his dirty little attitude. Those days you stood your adversary face to face with a punch to the nose.

Hair pulling was considered girlish. I don't want this stuff coming into Australia, & falling down in a sudden gust of wind blows through. Leave this for Soccer, & lets clean it out of our game.

Give these *ricks a suspended sentence for this crap. Before this spreads through the suburbs & our game!

$900 fine each (Mitchell & Ballantyne) I think I heard. So basically slaps on the wrist. Probably about right IMO.

Hair pulling...

Might not be a dangerous as the head-on bump or as violent as the punch in the head, but I think we can put it on the list with scratching and biting as just not what is supposed to be going on out there.

I thought Schofield was a bit of a dog towards Watts yesterday, Watts went to ground in forcing the ball over the boundary in the member's pocket, and Schofield stood menacingly over him giving him quite a bit of lip. Watts got up and there was a bit of shoving. Thought it was pretty cheap from Schofield.

that is football

not cheap at all

im no thug but thats exacly wat i expect to see them do towards watts

Hair pulling...

Might not be a dangerous as the head-on bump or as violent as the punch in the head, but I think we can put it on the list with scratching and biting as just not what is supposed to be going on out there.

Dare I say it for you? UN-AUSTRALIAN!

Vlad,,,,,, GET RID OF IT!

$900 fine each (Mitchell & Ballantyne) I think I heard. So basically slaps on the wrist. Probably about right IMO.

I'd give them a 2 week suspended sentence + the fine, for bringing this tough in your face game into disrepute.

There's no honour in hair pulling. If you want to be tough or something, belt 'em in the nose, from in front of them.

Not like today's stoushes out in the streets where they hit from behind unseen. Up front, face to face, eye to eye.

PS: Don't be misunderstood. I'm not condoning violence, per say,,,, but if one has to, at least show some manhood about it & look them in the eye.

I'd give them a 2 week suspended sentence + the fine, for bringing this tough in your face game into disrepute.

There's no honour in hair pulling. If you want to be tough or something, belt 'em in the nose, from in front of them.

Not like today's stoushes out in the streets where they hit from behind unseen. Up front, face to face, eye to eye.

PS: Don't be misunderstood. I'm not condoning violence, per say,,,, but if one has to, at least show some manhood about it & look them in the eye.

I hear u - maybe a new point based system. Say early plea and your penalty is doubled for sucking up to the panel? Carry over points for previously girly behavior (sorry girls)? That sort of thing?

I'd say you haven't been punched in the stomach hard enough. It can do enough damage to limit your ability to play out the game and yes, it can do long term damage. Hair pulling in the manner that Mitchell did can do neither.

You're probably right, and I'm not complaining

However, I thought we were comparing apples with apples, and a big hit clearly isn't in the same ballpark as the Mitchell offence.

Apples with apples would be a short-armed jab to the stomach, and yes, I've received a couple of those playing footy.

$900 fine each (Mitchell & Ballantyne) I think I heard. So basically slaps on the wrist. Probably about right IMO.

Yes, that was confirmed on Footy Classified for Mitchell.

If Nason can't cop that he should cut his hair. He's bound to get attention with that kind of 'do.

It's not like he kicked him, spat on him or went for the groin. Come on.

I agree he should cut his hair.

If you are going to run around with such a ridiculas hairstyle like that it should be pulled at.

RIDICULAS.

And doing your knee in a ruck contest hurts more than getting punched in the face. What's your point?

Head high contact is illegal in the AFL no matter how minimal. Pulling an opponent's hair might not hurt as much as a tackle would but I doubt the AFL would look at it kindly. Because you lay a tackle to try and stop your opponent from getting the ball. In what context of the game would pulling a player's hair help your team?

I wonder do you have long hair Jaded ?

I wonder do you have long hair Jaded ?

Irrelevant to the discussion me thinks.

Irrelevant to the discussion me thinks.

Maybe you thinks

lol/.

Maybe you thinks

No question about it.