sue

The AFL is using teams like ours and lesser known players to support their defense in future suits from ex-players about head injuries. What they seem to have overlooked is that in those future court cases the ex-players will be able to bring in videos of similar and worse incidents involving some clubs and star players that were overlooked (and also explain why those videos were not allowed to be used by the likes of Hunter). Won't sit well with a jury.

Are any journos pushing this point?

What’s the definition of light or low contact?

https://www.afl.com.au/news/932348/-a-badge-of-honour-dees-skipper-unfazed-by-close-checking Why doesn't King have a go at the umpires who don't pay frees for blocks way off the ball etc etc rather than have a go at players for not escalating actions which are not part of the game.

I thought several years ago the AFL said they would pay frees against duckers for this reason. But it never seems to have happened.

It's all about money (with a slight mixture of 'old mates' added). The teams that get special treatment are either big clubs with many supporters or the ones are part of AFL empire building plans. Money distorts all elements of a sporting competition (e.g. fixture) but you'd think adjudication could be quarantined. Nah, what am I thinking.

We could move to Docklands I guess.

Wouldn't work. The MRO would just say "No, but it's not Bont or Daicos" and proceed as usual .

Good grief if that is true. If they can warn you when you have 5 to go etc, why can't they tell you "No More" as well. And we wouldn't have a game decided in such a stupid way.

I'm not going to get into this specific incident, but if he should have done what you said : "had plenty of time to put his head down and contest", then I don't quite see how that instruction is likely to lessen head injuries. Seems to me that is asking for players to collide heads which isn't that much safer than your hip running into my head or my head running into your hip. Surely there must be a moment when it is safer for one player to pull back. If a player does that and gets both stick from the coach and supporters for being a whimp AND gets rubbed out for high contact, I don't know where we are heading.

That free for taking the North player's legs out that lead to a free and a goal in Q4 really drove me crazy. The players are running to the ball which is heading to the North goal, casey player is in the lead and throws himself to the ground to get the ball, North player running from behind him trips over him, gets a free. What is the Casey player supposed to do? Not pick up the ball? OK, the rule might make sense when players are coming in from the side, but from the rear it is absolute BS.

The AFL would change the rules in advance.

good grief, even the temperature is considered woke these days. Anyway, I thought it was plus 0.

Maybe the club wants to get as many games into Salem as possible before the finals. I may be wrong but didn’t he come back much later in the season last year . maybe the club thinks he didn’t have enough time to get back to his best.

This! But they are authentic about $$.

But it is hard to adjudicate. How does the umpire know how hard the push is? Why allow it at all - they pay high frees for gentle swipes over the shoulder. They don't try to guess how hard the contact was. We've now got to the point that some stagers will use a hold you ground push as an excuse to fly forward. Others (eg Hawkins) will be "holding their ground" one meter behind where they were when they pushed, i.e. the ran backwards after the push.

Agree. But Lyon seemss to bend over backwards to appear that he is not favouring MFC (which is annoying). Can't say the same for the others.

If I was coach of a team ahead by a couple of points after a goal had been scored in the dying seconds, and we hadn't had a 666 warning, I'd create one since a ball-up is more predictable and easier to bring to your ruckman's feet and hold things up. A wild bounce may give your opponents a quick route to goal. Anyway, all teams should have a 666 warning when they play the Demons.

oh I am. Just this nagging feeling about over reliance on hanging out for picks in the past. Not relevant now.

I enjoy this thread, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable reminding me a bit of the days when we pinned our hopes on an early draft pick messiah.

As wsw said it was there but mysteriously disappeared later - which is odd because less news-worthy articles seem to have had more staying power. I can't think why.

Fogarty case? No stretcher.

But that’s the AFL’s modus operandi

Delay because Gil’s phone battery is dead

More likely they like how inpredictable the play is if the viewer can't see what other players are around and likely to affect the play. Adds to the tension to not know what is happening. Very annoying. But as worse is the close up of the player who has taken a mark or free. Far better to see what his options downfield are rather than if he used a sharp razor for his morning shave.