The AFL has internally ticked off the contentious non-free kick to Jack Ginnivan for high contact as the correct call, and does not believe the Collingwood young gun has been singled out for different treatment.
The AFL warned other players the rules had changed last year and play-on would be called, or a player would be penalised for prior contact if they dropped at the knees or waist, or shrugged or raised an arm to force contact in a tackle to take them high.
Ginnivan, who has received the most high contact free kicks in the AFL this year, was taken high in one incident that was not awarded a free kick, with the league deciding the umpire had reasonably felt Ginnivan had forced the contact to go high.
High tackle, or play on? The AFL’s guidelines.
The blond haired small forward often takes possession of the ball down low and then rises into a tackle, often raising an arm to force the tackler to take him high in a method that is common among players.
Ginnivan was awarded two high free kicks in the North Melbourne game for tackles that took him immediately high around the neck. In the third incident he was not awarded a free for high contact for a tackle that grabbed him around the neck because the umpire felt the player swung his arm up to force the tackle to go high. He was not awarded a free for in the back for the player landing on his back.
The AFL privately said they did not believe Ginnivan was umpired differently to other players and that all players risked being penalised for prior opportunity, or play on being called, if they deliberately contributed to drawing contact from their shoulders up to their head.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said on the Sunday Footy Show Ginnivan’s reputation had umpires uncertain how to deal with him.
Other commentators said they felt the player was officiated differently to other players who also regularly raise an arm to draw a free kick but are given the benefit of the doubt.
“I think they don’t know what to do with him,” Lloyd said.
“It’s like the [Joel] Selwood shrug in a sense - they know what he is doing every time but the umpires don’t know what to do. Should we or shouldn’t we pay it?”
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