Macca

If down the track one of our more high profile players is cited for a similar type of tackle and the next game is a final or even a GF, would we appeal? I'd say no doubt we would, especially if it's an Oliver, Petracca or a Gawn So why not appeal now to see how far we can stretch things? A test case so to speak I understand that we aren't appealing but I would have appealed if only to see what the result would be So in other words you take up the fight knowing that you'll probably lose but ... you live to fight another day

Yep, T-Mac is next in line and he can play the role (lead up CHF) that Petty was playing Brown is more a deep forward (JVR's role) and Schache is there in reserve for one of the ruckman

If this sort of thing carries a penalty of missing games then sooner or later a lesser offence will carry a suspension After that, an even lesser offense will be the next focus But one thing is for sure, the name players won't be cited, it will be the sacrificial lamb lesser lights I suppose in a way, players like Petracca, Gawn or Oliver probably won't be cited so there is some upside You and DS made very good points with regards to Day contributing to the sling and it needs a sharp eye to notice such things

Well picked up DS because with the full vision it looks damning for Sparrow So if Day contributes to the sling (as you've said) then not so damning I must say I do like the aggressive nature of Sparrow's tackle. Old school and he creates a presence for himself That same type of tackle isn't always going to end up with the players head hitting the ground. His arms weren't pinned so he's got his arms to protect himself

We know that All the more reason to take up the fight We should be complaining about the inconsistencies through the media Other clubs do

If the AFL were authentic, they'd make an example of the high profile players, not the lesser lights But the Sparrow action is a football action in my view anyway Just like JVR ruling, cite them all or don't cite them at all In their endeavour to clean things up in terms of head trauma, there is no clear pathway. The road ahead is murky (to say the least) Unless the sport is reinvented (AFLX)

Probably because the umpires might have seen the incident as a football action only HQ are running scared but when will it stop? It's a collision sport and an aggressive sport so to me, actual transgressions are easy to spot Actions like a punch, elbow, or shoulder targeting the head area is obvious. Most of the rest of it is vague and highly questionable So is a player like Dangerfield going to miss a GF for a similar incident to the Sparrow one? Zero chance

Every now and again players are going to hit their heads on the ground as the result of a tackle So how do we differentiate? The same tackle more often than not will not result in a player hitting their head on the ground So if we punish the action alone, numerous players should be cited for the actual action, not the result e.g. the Kozzie incident is now punishable for the action alone But that's a shirt-front type action An aggressive tackle? Happens frequently in every game Can of worms

So what would be your attitude if it was Oliver, Gawn or Petracca on the eve of a GF? Players should not miss games for incidents like this. A fine is sufficient

The value of Sparrow is irrelevant to this thread in terms of whether he is guilty or not He's one of our players and we should go into bat for him as if it's Oliver and a GF berth at stake As for the incident, both players were moving at decent speed and it just looked like a normal tackle given those circumstances It's not as if Sparrow pinned him and then drove his head into the ground. Accidents happen and football actions should not be punished

@Diamond_Jim @Dee Zephyr @Grapeviney @layzie @roy11 @Winners at last @Jibroni @Jumping Jack Clennett @Sir Why You Little @loges @Pates Great news re the starting time for the FA Cup ... (finally) back to 3pm (Midnight AEST) June 3rd The first time since 2011 that the time-honoured FA Cup will be played at that time Back in the day we used to have FA Cup parties (or get togethers) As the game time gradually crept out to 2.30am, that changed But what a match-up! Man Utd vs Man City See y'all here on the night!! The Demons are playing Carlton the day before (Friday night)

Fair enough Well, interest is still high (now) with CL spots and even the title

*Conference League Glory??? Please

Ha ha! ... your sarcasm is obvious roy, don't be a bad loser tut tut You got outplayed pure and simple ... all that money and you didn't turn up An obvious hand ball not paid and a goal disallowed when your keeper fainted More possession but wasteful and non threatening. Tippy tap with no ambition Not good enough Better luck next time haha

Hammers were very good and we outplayed Man Utd ... could have easily scored another 2 goals at least Man Utd had a few chances but they'd be disappointed with their game, especially with a top 4 spot up for grabs West Ham have finally found some form and should finish the season well now

Yeah 2 years ... and in 1 of those years we won the SB Overall - defence was average at best The standout part of our game was Rodgers and his great arm But we put all our eggs on one basket which is not the fault of Rodgers And my view has been consistent for a number of years ... we should not have been a one-man team The management was at fault And there's a long road back ... dare I say it, we need a decent QB!!

I wouldn't say horrible ... just average or reasonably good. Lot's of playoff appearances He did coach 1 SB win and they aren't easy to win Not sure about the great defence ... average I'd say. Biggest weakness was our running game under McCarthy ... we were ok but never very good. Run defence - below average Too reliant on Rodgers in my view As for le Fluer ... more of the same. A bit beige?

So at what time will the appeal take place tonight?

My gut feeling is what was said earlier by another poster ... the JVR incident won't be a precedent, it can't be unless they want to cite numerous players every week There will be outrage for a time until the next story comes along. Meanwhile, a kid in his 5th game gets burnt But we must appeal, whatever it costs

May was the first person I thought of once JVR was cited May is expert at spoiling and making his opponent earn it. Maybe 4 or 5 times a game. And there are a stack of defenders right across the league who do the same So what happens now? Are all those defender spoils reportable? If so, a massive can of worms has just been opened Or, they've just made an example of a player they might deem as expendable

Are all these iincidents going to be cited? If so, we could have numerous citations every week ... if all it takes is incidental contact to the neck/head area Of course, it won't happen like that as it looks to me like they just want to send a message Every contested mark in the forward line brings with it a defender spoiling attempt. Often multiple defenders if the ball is kicked to a pack The class actions, CTE and litigation has got the AFL running scared. But their fear is a futile exercise anyway - if the sport becomes a version of touch football, no one will watch it So a spoil from behind brings with it a.possible/probable reportable offence? We must appeal

I'm reckoning we'll appeal and then we should be able to convince the tribunal that JVR was playing the ball in an attempt to spoil (a football move) Do that and he has to get off otherwise any spoil, anytime, could be deemed as a reportable offence (if any sort of contact is made to the head or neck area in those spoiling attempts) If he still gets weeks then a precedent will be set and we'll have stacks of players being cited on a weekly basis (or should do) It's a contact sport which means that incidental contact is going to made to the head area on a constant basis If it's a deliberate strike, elbow or shoulder or hip to the head then fair enough, cite the perpetrator But a spoiling attempt? No way

@layzie is spot on with regards to our lack of forward line pressure ... another way of looking at it is that we have been excellent in that area previously As well as that, in other areas of the ground we weren't exerting maximum pressure And they were exerting pressure with lots of numbers around the contests which often amounted to hurried disposals for our lads So Gold Coast played a very good game, maybe their best game this season, yet we won the game To sum up, we didn't bring our best but we didn't play poorly and in the end, we beat their best Apart from that, if we'd have been more accurate in front of goal, we would have wrapped the game up. Although, there seemed to be a gusty breeze about which caught hold of the ball occasionally 4 points banked