Undeeterred

Sounds like they've got it under control...

Basically, I agree with lots of people in saying that if Viney were intending to bump, we'd still be collecting Lynch's brain matter from the stands at Adelaide Oval.

And very, very good at it.

Not a very enlightened attitude. So what you're saying is that you're ok with paying to watch people receive brain injuries? This isn't Ancient Rome. And anyway, you're missing the point entirely. Nobody except you is saying it is fine that Lynch got injured. What they're saying is that it was accidental and unavoidable and therefore shouldn't get punished by suspension.

I'm confused - was that a case of them stepping in, or not stepping in? I'm not being smart, genuinely interested and remember that suspension but not the circumstances!

Why can't we have both? I'd rather have Dangerfield than about 10 from our team on Saturday. At the very least. Who cares how much he costs?

High profile cases? Not saying you're wrong, but I'd say the original decisions weren't in the same league as this one. Of course, happy to be proven wrong!

I never said he couldn't, just that there was no way he was going to in such a high profile case.

Oh, you spud. Do you really, really think that one of the most senior people in the AFL is going to take a Tribunal decision and overturn it off his own bat, therefore confirming everybody's suspicion that his own organisation is a pack of fools and in the process hanging his own Tribunal members out to dry? Now that's not rocket science, but it must feel like it to you.

Yeah but after that five minutes, he's out of gas.

You really have very little idea about how the world works, don't you?

Don't be ridiculous. There is no way on God's green Earth the AFL is going to appeal a decision. They clearly wanted to make a statement about head clashes, without giving Viney an (in their eyes) excessive penalty. They sure as hell are not going to hang their Tribunal members out to dry. As for Demetriou, he said Viney was unlucky and that the rule should be looked at. That is very different to saying Viney was not guilty and that this specific case should be overturned. Outcome: Verdict stands, Viney gets screwed, they rewrite the rules (again) for next time.

Bet your email to the AFL disappeared into the too hard basket inbox.

The point about reputation is a good one. If Viney goes hard again in the next few years and smashes someone else, he will get months... Completely undeservedly.

Well done, very clever. What are you going to do, storm his chambers?

Will be very interesting to see if he picked up Brownlow votes for this. Obviously, the umpires would have submitted votes before the referral and it will be interesting to see whether this impacted their view on 'fairest and best' at all...

He drove him into the ground - he could easily have just untangled himself.

The deliberate, wilful and premeditated bodyslam was worse.

You are so incomprehensibly stupid that I'm putting you on ignore. Arguing with fools, etc.

And this one is even better. If you could read, let alone comprehend, which you clearly can't, you'd probably know the answer.

Well done clown, great response.

Has nothing to do with contact or non-contact, but whether players play hard or not. I just get fed up with people using my other sport as a cheap way of illustrating wimpiness.

Have to say I get pretty sick of pointing this out on this forum - basketball is not a proxy for 'softness'. For what it is worth, I have never, never had to consider not attacking a basketball because I might get suspended for rough conduct and I have plenty of broken bones to show for it. You should come up with a more articulate way of venting frustration.

Oh spare me. I've said from the start Viney would go for it, but that doesn't mean it isn't a completely [censored] ridiculous decision. This essentially means now that no player can ever commit to a contest for fear of incidental and accidental collisions. That's very sad for football.

True, but if he was playing outside instructions, I'd wager he wouldn't have played the first seven straight as an upgraded rookie, first year player.