‘What else is he meant to do?’: GWS gun taken out in brutal bump
A GWS Giants star has been crunched in a brutal collision that left him concussed and sparked debate about the bump in the AFL.
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GWS Giants star Lachie Whitfield got cleaned up by a brutal bump against the Gold Coast Suns, but Suns spearhead Ben King is expected to escape punishment for the hit.
The incident occurred late in the first quarter of the clash between two AFL expansion sides on Sunday afternoon in Sydney, as GWS claimed a thrilling seven-point win.
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A bouncing ball made its way towards Whitfield, but before he could collect it, King knocked Whitfield over with a heavy hip and shoulder.
Whitfield was taken down to the Giants changerooms and was ruled out of the game with concussion, replaced by substitute Jake Stringer in the second quarter.
Fox Footy’s Alastair Lynch said: “Ben King comes in and certainly his left shoulder hits Lachie Whitfield in the jaw and he goes down.
Watch the bump on Lachie Whitfield in the video above
“He stayed out on the ground but he was assessed by video and they got him off the ground.
“I think Ben King should be right with that one. He was looking to protect the ball with his body and he hits Lachie Whitfield at the same time.”
Fox Footy Tribunal expert David Zita said: “Ben King was contesting the ball reasonably here, I think. He was running through the line. I don’t know what else he was supposed to do in that situation.
“I don’t think the action was a reportable offence. I don’t see him having anything to worry about. What else is he meant to do?”
The bump is certainly not dead — Geelong’s Tom Stewart was cleared of any wrongdoing for his crunching bump on Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson earlier this month.
GWS recovered from a poor first quarter to claim a thrilling comeback win over the Suns to consolidate their position in the top eight.
Gold Coast kicked four goals in the first four minutes of the game to take a big early lead, posting seven goals to four in a dominant opening quarter.
But the Giants fought back and took the lead midway through the final quarter, kicking eight goals to three in the final term.
“It’s a classic game, everybody is lifting,” Gerard Healy said on Fox Footy.
Stringer and GWS captain Toby Greene kicked two goals each as the Giants surged in front in a highscoring final quarter, holding on to win 16.10 (106) to 14.15 (99).
“This is exactly why we got him here and he’ll just get better,” Greene said about Stringer post-game.
The Suns have never won at ENGIE Stadium in Sydney and will slip out of the top eight, while the Giants head to the bye after recording wins over Brisbane and Gold Coast.
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