Can someone explain this rule, surely he was manhandled more than 5 metres off the ball. Thanks in advance
I was under the impression that they adjusted the rules to allow this to happen more often, a show of strength.
I’ll give you the simple explanation - when done to one of our players, it’s a show of strength. When we do it to the opposition, it’s a blatant free kick.
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The rule of manhandling Essendon players has been around a long time.
You new to the game?
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The only thing that’s been adjusted is that you can put your hand on the back of the person in front. You can’t push them, you can only stop them from moving back.
It was a free kick for Hurley, but a soft one. The problem is that Hurls plays clean because he doesn’t want to give away a free right in front of the sticks. If the person he’s playing on doesn’t follow the rules as closely and the umpires don’t give a ■■■■ then it’s going to be a tough day in the office. I always think when you compare Hurls to people like Rance he gets a rough run with the umps. Watching Rance closely, he’s very good at using his body to block the umpires sight of what he’s actually doing, holding jumpers etc etc.
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And it will work exactly the way it worked before the hands in the back rule was introduced. It will be a show of strength by good players but defensive players will be penalised for the exact same action.
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Exactly. I remember commenting rather emphatically on it at the time.
My household seem to think I focus too much on the umpiring. I personally can’t understand it. Are they not watching what I am watching? Some of the decisions on Thurs night were just terrible.
And there were a couple went to us that were laughable as well eg the Selwood “punch” to Baguley.
Can someone pls fix the ludicrous 50m penalty rule/interpretation and the sliding rule/interpretation? FFS. And it’s only preseason, with nothing hanging on the result.
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It’s all just rubbish. Like school kids making up rules as they go. So unprofessional-looking.
Baggers dropped waaay too easily, no doubt about it. But a really soft one was paid against him earlier. The one on him was the same force, and i honestly don’t think they would have paid it if he didn’t ham it up like he did. It wasn’t so bad you’d call it staging so i’m ok with it.
edit - It wasn’t like Josh Green this time last year haha.
Zerrett got suspended off the back of something similar and I can’t recall which WCE player it was but Oliver took a massive dive in a similar situation.
They just need to be consistent and suspend anyone that does these pointless jabs irrespective of the damage inflicted.
Or conversely just let it go.
It’s just another typical grey area that the AFL love to have and as long is it is grey players will try to exploit it.
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Yeah it’s so hard to police. I don’t think players should do it, but i would have hated to see Bagley and Selwood both suspended because both punches were so soft. Maybe they could just do huge fines for it? I’m sure if you got fined $2,000 for every gut punch the players would stop doing it immediately.
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Trouble with a fine is that players will just use give the player a better whack to the stomach and try to inflict damage. So we will be back to square one.
Suspend players for a week and it will stop immediately.
I’m pretty sure the players wouldn’t pay 2k to wack somebody in the stomach. It literally impacts the player for about 20 seconds. For it to be worth while you’re getting into uppercut territory haha. Suspensions would definitely do it, but boy i was ■■■■■■ off with the Merrett one.
I was farked off with the Merrett one also. That was mostly because no one else gets suspended for those though.
Either let them go or suspend them. I don’t care either way but be consistent.
“Champion” players generally get a free pass where other players don’t.
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I thought Merrett got suspended because Carlton handed in a medical report along with it.
FarkCarlton.
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Just suspend them for a month for any slap, punch, hit that is outside the rules. It’ll stop almost immediately.
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Yep!
Another reason I hate Carlton with a passion!
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Too much. You’ll get so many situations where a player is provoked over and over behind play when the umpire isn’t looking and the one time the snap and give a little whack back they’ll get pinged. Or a swinging arm in a pack of players. Anything that injures or actually hurts a player should be really heavily penalised though no doubt, but a month for a little stomach whack is a bit much.
Trent Cotchin says hello. That flog is a serial offender & they turn a blind eye to it. Sheets me.
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