I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters.

I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here.

How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms)

This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage.

I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters.

I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here.

How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms)

This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage.

I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

No. It was a legitimate tackle with a 1 in 1000 result where cornes landed awkwardly. After watching the many replays you can see that both were moving quickly, pickett did not deliberately cause what happened to cornes. I was very happy to see him sitting up, but I was surprised that he was not wearing the collar and placed on a jordan frame?

you know what jjc i often agree with you. but not on this one no way. he tackled him. fairly. he grabbed him, tied him up and took him to the ground. they were moving at pace and the player had the ball. it was unfortunate how it panned out but it is part of contact sport it will happen occasionally. would you ban the speccy in case someone falls and hurts themselves? you cant have tackles and then complain that some tackles are too hard. thats just stupid. you are trying to introduce more grey into the game instead of leaving it black and white.

I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters.

I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here.

How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms)

This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage.

I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

There was nothing dangerous in Pickett following the classic style of wrapping up the player and bringing him to the ground.It wasnt late and that is why no downfield free was given.It was necessary as Cornes had the ball and Byron had to dispossess him. Only Byron can say whether it was intended to cause injury . He has always been hard but not malicious and i am disappointed that you even raised the suggestion of intent without there being a scintilla of evidence to support the assertion.It was just an unfortunate injury caused by a fierce but fair tackle

Byron has been crucified because he as seen to charge and bump instead of laying a tackle.Now he will be villified for laying a tackle.He just cant win.

IMO a copybook tackle which should be shown in slow motion to our insipid tacklers like Ward and Wheatley

Thanks, Deanox. You're an ex-umpire, so perhaps I should bow to your experience .......or perhaps I should deride you for being associated with those blundreing idiots!! But I've never tried it ,so perhaps I underestimate the difficulty. They certainly make the job look hard.( not physically, with three of them the amount of running required is quite limited and undemanding for highly paid professionals)

But do you agree that Pickett's been worse than useless this year? If Godders had done any of the clangers he's perpetrated, Demonlanders would be screaming for his head.

I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters.

I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here.

How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms)

This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage.

I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

JJC, what it does show that you know nothing about football with that comment, for god's sake he did intend to hurt cornes but do what every player is told to do and tackle hard how he fall is in the lap of the gods, this game should now be played in dresses and high heals. This game along with the media has become so sanitised that it borders on a joke, next they will have to wear pads all over their body and no one is to touch each other!!!!

Legitimate tackle.

Cornes saw Pickett coming at pace yet failed to brace himself, tried to kick instead of handball so his arms were going to be pinned by Byron in the tackle - if he had tried to handball his hands would have been above the tackle.

If you ban this sort of tackle you might as well be playing touch footy.

And no I am not a hot blooded poster.

definitely a tough one i reckon. i think every dees fan was saying 'get him' when cornes was chasing the ball, but no one wants to see an injury. but yeah, if it was davey tackling cornes like that, nothing would have happened, pickett shouldn't be derided because he is a bigger body. perhaps he did intend to make cornes earn it, but what else should afl be about?

but yeah, he's another one whose commitment could be brought into question

A fair tackle in play as Guerra's was on Bruce a couple of years ago that effectively ended our season. If he goes it will be another complete farce from the AFL, the only sporting organisation that could make the ICC look competent at the moment.

[quote name='demon3165' " this game should now be played in dresses and high heals."

Predictable ignorance.

p.s. That should read "heels". (!)

You probably think Pickett's played well this year, you know so much about the game!

A fair tackle in play as Guerra's was on Bruce a couple of years ago that effectively ended our season. If he goes it will be another complete farce from the AFL, the only sporting organisation that could make the ICC look competent at the moment.

Stole my thunder! Wonder if Jack added his voice to the thread I know was around at the time?

I suppose the difference here is the head issue. In the context of this tackle though the circumstances would have resulted in Cornes head hitting the ground just about regardless of who tackled him. It looked bad because essentially Cornes was out as soon as his head hit the ground.

Jack, you have fallen victim to like so many others to targetting Byron Pickett without assessing the actual circumstances objectively. This is clearly different to cases where there is a duty of care for a player with his head over the ball.

[quote name='demon3165' " this game should now be played in dresses and high heals."

Predictable ignorance.

p.s. That should read "heels". (!)

You probably think Pickett's played well this year, you know so much about the game!

Yep, seems I do with your comments about it, so what has this issue got to do if I think Pickett has played well, nothing at all !!

If Byron gets weeks, it wouldn't surprise me if he calls it a day. He'd figure that the AFL has conspired against him (twice) and effectively ended his career as one of the AFL's last hardmen of the game. The bump he did 2 years ago (6 week suspension) was fair enough but if this tackle gets him in strife...then why should he bother plying his trade anymore.

Clearly, he is out of shape and is a shadow of his former self. An example being when he ran down the centre with the ball and got pinged for holding the ball yesterday. I doubt very much whether the desire is there either.

I'll stick my neck out here, knowing I'll face vitriolic ridicule from some hot-headed posters.

I reckon Choppy's tackle on Cornes was dangerous, late,unnecessary, and intended to cause physical injury. He was lucky he didn't break his neck. If a Melbourne player was the victim, there would be many posters complaining here.

How it wasn't a down-field free stuns me. In my opinion it exemplified the umpires' blind ignorance during this match.Cornes had got his hurried kick in, before Pickett got hold of him. But even if it wasn't late(which I'll admit is arguable), it was done purely to cause injury in a manner frowned upon by the authorities(i.e. pinning the arms)

This sort of thing needs to be stamped out . Pickett deserves a month. If he's going to play like he did on Sunday(and the rest of tjs season), that'll be to our advantage.

I know Flash plays better when he's there, but he's got to stand on his own two feet. A tackle like that on Davey or Nathan Krakouer would quite possibly kill them.

You are kidding? Cornes should have shown Byron more respect and got rid of the ball sooner knowing the great man was bearing down on him. As a 250+ game defender myself I saw Byron's tackle as a perfect example. Not vicious just hard when the game was in the balance. THE GAME IS CALLED FOOTBALL NOT BASKETBALL! It's comments like that, that may well see Byron get 6-8 weeks for hurting another player without breaking a single rule of the game. Shame on you!

I clapped him, tis what he gets paid for.

and before he write him off, he has laid some great tackles - he was absolutely crucified when he laid the perfect tackle on Burgoyne in the centre earlier in the game. Was inspirational to all but the umpire. how Port did not get pinged for quite a few of holding the balls I don't know.

Picketts still got plenty to offer, he is not that far away, but concede Sunday was not great.

Jumpin Jack you are Kidding, It was the perfect tackle, It gave him no chance to offload the ball to his team mates.

Yes it was unfortunate that cornes head hit the turf, but it was an accident. nothing more to say

agreed.... fair tackle

However the AFL in all their wisdom before the season started said they would be tougher on tackles where the arms were pinned and the player is driven into the ground.

IMO they will love the opportunity to impose their new ruling and what better case than the tribunal pinup boy of Byron.

It is up to the MFC to contest... take it to the tribunal and watch them throw it out.

the result was pretty sickening, i was happy when it was obvious that cornes was ok. But the tackle was fair and not intended to do that damage, just unfortunate result.

Pickett will go for being Pickett.

Pickett hasnt played well because he hasnt played. Can't deny that i have a lack of faith in his motivation if he cant even stay fit rather than entering pie eating competitions.

i thought it was fractionally late, maybe a down field, but he does what i was taught, pin the amrs and take them to ground, he doesnt get into cornes back and its the momentum that makes them go over int he tackle, i highly doubt byron was meaning to try and hurt him its exactly the way he has played all his career

Tim Watson started this push - he was backing away from it this morning...

if Byron has to go up, we should use the push in the back rule as a standard for policing of new interpretations!!

Fair tackle, and a damn good one. Pretty much picture perfect text book stuff. Pinned both the arms so he couldn't dispose of the ball properly, just unlucky that Cornes landed the way he did. As stated, very similar to the Guerra tackle on Bruce in 05. If Byron goes for that, I refuse to watch football for the rest of the year. That would be PATHETIC. One of the highlights of the game yesterday, and what sets our great game apart from other soft boring sports.

Sidenote; hope Byrons ear is alright

It would be a disgrace if Pickett was reported and suspended. The tackle ended up being a bit dangerous, but I think it was fair. If he was to get suspended you will have no one wanting to tackle a player because that could happen in any game. What next banning the speccie because you may fall on your head. Leave the rules alone it's a contact sport you will always have ugly incidents in this sport as long as it's not deliberate they should let it go.

What a great tackle.Even their coach admitted he laid a good ,hard one! All you [censored] cats that think it was Illegal should go and watch synchronized swimming.If it was Neita or Brucey or similar would you be squawking? The in the back against Neita was technically there but what a farce of a rule! Sack The Geish,he is really floundering with his justification of rule interpretations. Next week we will get our 1st victory of 07.Our kids are improving and stand taller when Neitz and Pickett are in a hard at it mood.

Blame the lack or rain. THe MCG is not exactly a party time jumping castle. There is no give on that ground. A softer muddy surface would have hurt him, but not to the extent he was hurt on the weekend.

Picketts aim was to tackle, and he did a great job. IF he wanted to knock him out, he would have done so with a hip and shoulder to the head- this wasnt the case.