Heavy hits to Crows at the Gabba leave AFL bosses to reconsider how to deal with concussion exits
THE AFL’s bosses might have to reconsider how to deal with concussion exits after Adelaide’s brutal night at the Gabba on Saturday.
AFL football boss Steve Hocking on Monday will hand league supremo Gillon McLachlan the speed notes on 10 months of research, debate and analysis on rule changes for Australian football.
But will Hocking take the events of Saturday night at the Gabba as reason to rethink how to regulate the four-man interchange bench — and the limit on rotations?
He should.
Adelaide was tested to the limit on losing two players — Rising Star-nominated defender Tom Doedee and rookie-listed forward Lachlan Murphy — in the third term against Brisbane.
After this, the Crows were pumping their energy tank to hold back an eager Lions unit working 22 players against 20 (perhaps 19 if there is a debate on the wisdom of playing key forward Mitch McGovern off an 10-week break).
Hocking could:
REINTRODUCE the green vest, having the emergency step into the match when there is a player concussed — as there was with Port Adelaide midfielder-forward Robbie Gray last week and Doedee and Murphy this week. This will not be popular with the players, who did not endorse the “substitute” rule when the AFL last put a reserve in the vest on the bench.
CHANGE the restriction on the 90 rotations allowed for each team in a match. Say an extra five or 10 for each concussed player, depending if the player is lost in the first or second half of the match?
Extra interchange rotations might prove the best way to rebalance the problem created by two teams working different numbers from the interchange bench where club doctors are being very wise — and prudent — in how they assess concussion.
Hocking will not need media monitors to know there is heat to come from Adelaide this week, particularly towards his umpires.
When former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto is under fire on social media for his television commentary of the game, fellow board member Rod Jameson has not masked his dismay with the umpiring on Twitter and the Adelaide Football Club uses its Twitter account to critique umpires, it is obvious what the agenda item will be in SA this week.
Match review officer Michael Christian faces an interesting session in reviewing the Doedee and Murphy incidents, as does umpires boss Hayden Kennedy in explaining why there was no free kick to the Crows in either incident.
Hocking’s meeting with Gil might take longer than originally planned.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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