sue

If the AFL is not worried that "some concussions, like this one, will go unpunished" they may find themselves in legal hot water in 15 years. But by then those currently with the snouts in the troughs will be retired to their beachside havens so worried, but not too worried.

Nor do I. But fundamentally I expect sport to be conducted in a fair manner. It should be possible to do so and be commercial at the same time. When commercial interests override fair play, then I call it corruption. Not neccessarily brown envelope corruption, but corrupton of the sport nevertherless.

When you see a pattern of behaviour indicating the AFL is more concerned with commercialization (and the accompanying fat salaries for execs) than running a fair competition, then corruption does not seem too strong a word to me.

Agreed. Except booing is the only way to express our feelings about the AFL and it's special 'rules' for stars from big clubs. Hold up a sign instead - I'm sure the TV cameras will zoom in on you (not).

There's no need to wonder. Clear as day that the AFL is fundamentally corrupt. Whetver you think of the origianal decisions, the 5 hour saga last night smelt.

So Daisy P says: “I still watch that contest and think it’s still a footy contest with an unfortunate outcome.” Did she say the same thing about Chandler? I hope so. If not I will have lost all respect for her as she would have joined the integrity-free zone that is the AFL and it's media hangers-on.

I am [censored] off with those few here still posting that he should have got off. Can't they see that even if that was true, the whole process is clearly a sham and that's what drives most of us to despair about OUR game. It's not a time to dilute the outrage about the AFL's lack of integrity by making excuses for the scumbags.

If the decision was that clear why did it take hours? Smells.

Takes a while to steam open the envelopes

Even if the appeal is dismissed I’m sure that’s what they are doing. If the can’t come up with a plausible line they may just have to dismiss the appeal.

And would they waste this much time on a no name player in the interest of justice.

Probably consulting the Privy council or the House of Lords

Leaving ball drop, ball spinning aside, Max kicks the ball hard and high when he's not far from goal. Recipe for a miss IMO.

Perhaps they are just trying to confuse any planning we are doing for Saturday.

It's got to the point I'd rather him bring it to ground rather than mark it. (I don't really mean that. Or do I?)

Good luck with that. I expect the tribunal will overcome that key issue by simply saying he wasn't electing to bump, merely trying to get to the ball. Hopefully (for us, if not for the game) they'll dodge being honest by compromising on a 1 week ban.

It's not over yet. Probably will be reduced to 1 week. And if you are paranoid you might think the AFL will invent a new rule interpretation for when we play Carlton this week. Like full backs who kick-out to the left more than twice in a row will incur an immediate penalty.

Some seem not to have seen this: https://www.afl.com.au/news/814108/blues-skipper-banned-for-ah-chee-bump

Don't agree. The ball can bounce oddly, but I'm not hoping it will always bounce badly for us so that we can be really tested.

If you need an example of an outstanding performance by a player that subsequently doesn't go on to deliver what was then expected, look no further than Weid in a final a few years ago.

Nah. They’d jump on a no name player to show how virtuous they were.

That's not quite the new rule. It has the proviso that all that is fine only if the player being attacked has made a controversial comment during the preceding week.

Only in AFL with AFL commentators could a player not get a free for either the initial tackle or the pile on just because he had said something 'insulting' during the week. What a circus.

If we are still loading to get ready for the finals, I have only one comment. We should have stopped loading already. With our draw, we have been effectively playing finals already.

If so, it's time for them to re-think. 😁