AFLPA backs calls to revamp MRO after Paul Curtis’ ban

The AFL’s stars are baffled by the “unrealistic” split-second expectations around tackling in the wake of Paul Curtis’ ban, calling for change to the MRO system.

The AFL Players’ Association has backed calls to revamp the match review and tribunal systems, saying the game’s stars are baffled by the “unrealistic” split-second expectations around tackling.

The football world erupted over the three-game suspension handed to North Melbourne’s Paul Curtis on Tuesday which is set to trigger a makeover of the judicial framework at season’s end.

The players’ union said it wanted the reassessment of the league’s “rigid” match review matrix to be concluded “in as quick a timeframe as possible”.

In particular, clubs want lesser penalties in cases where there is zero intent from the tackler to cause a head knock.

Players are also frustrated a landmark decision on tackling has been delivered in-season, prompting potential technique changes around chase down tackles seven rounds in, rather than over summer.

North Melbourne surprisingly chose not to challenge the verdict on Thursday even though GWS Giant Toby Bedford was able to overturn his ban for a tackle on Tim Taranto at the appeals board last year.

The Roos’ decision to accept the ban for Curtis’ tackle on Port Adelaide’s Josh Sinn on Saturday night was based on the club’s legal advice that North would be unsuccessful at the appeals tribunal.

Curtis will miss the next three games. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The three-game ban is a huge price to pay for North after Kangaroos’ great David King on Fox Footy labelled in-form Curtis the club’s most important player.

But it is the widespread confusion across the playing ranks and footy fan base around the country which has become the major worry for the league.

AFL Players’ Association boss Paul Marsh on Wednesday told the Herald Sun the players were unhappy with the tribunal and match review officer systems and the verdicts they were delivering.

“While the players understand that protecting the head is critical, there is also a sense among them that the match review and tribunal systems are currently too rigid, leading to confusion over the decisions that are being made,” Marsh said.

“What is being asked of players in split seconds is, at times, unrealistic.

“We note the AFL’s comments today about reviewing the system and we would support that in as quick a timeframe as possible.

“And, as part of that, there should be consideration given to whether or not the current practice of sanctioning outcomes (extent of players’ injuries) over actions (players’ intent) is appropriate.”

As part of the revamp, clubs want the league to create a downgrade function which would allow the league to hand out lesser one and two-match suspensions where the impact is severe in tackles, but the intent is not to cause a head injury.

North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel on Wednesday branded the Curtis three-game ban “definitely very harsh”.

It is the second-straight season the powerful players’ union has voiced its frustrations over tackling rules, highlighting the growing headache in the game.

AFLPA general manager of player of stakeholder relations Brett Murphy last year said players were “genuinely confused as to what is and isn’t permissible in a tackle”.

“Players are seeing what they consider to be reasonable tackles penalised based on the outcome of the tackle, and don’t believe what is being asked of them is reasonable in the moment.”

Geelong superstar captain Patrick Dangerfield was also banned for a dangerous tackle on Carlton’s Sam Walsh last year, but was cleared at the tribunal.

‘MAYBE IT’S NOT THREE WEEKS’: AFL HINTS AT MRO TACKLE TWEAK

- Lauren Wood

AFL football boss Laura Kane has acknowledged “confusion” around tackling in the wake of Kangaroo Paul Curtis’ three-match ban, revealing the league is open to overhauling the match review system in favour of a “sliding scale” on bans.

Speaking on Wednesday morning before the Kangaroos opted not to challenge the suspension for Curtis’ arm-pinning tackle on Port Adelaide’s Josh Sinn, Kane said the league could consider a significant change to the match review model that has been bound by a table of offences in recent years.

Acknowledging the frustration from many surrounding the Curtis case, Kane wondered “would that frustration or that sentiment be there if it was less than three weeks?”.

“I don’t know, but I think that’s a really worthy discussion to have,” she said.

“We’ve been really clear in our efforts to make the game safer. That part is really clear, and I think the players and the clubs have done a really great job in adjusting technique and style and adjusting how they make those split-second decisions. That part we know is possible.

“It’s not to minimise the outcome, it’s to acknowledge that sometimes we are dealing with moments in time and decisions that you make.

“Maybe there’s some discussion to be had that if the technique looks, sounds and feels like this, maybe it’s not three weeks. But it’s certainly not meant to move away from our position to make the game safer.

Laura Kane has conceded there’s confusion about tackling. Picture: David Crosling

Paul Curtis tackles Josh Sinn.

“The MRO is a good place to start there. The matrix has served us well, it has enabled us to have consistency. And when we have cases like this one, where people want some clarity or are after more information about what could they do or how could the outcome be different, I think the MRO’s ability to make a decision and communicate that.”

Kane said on SEN that clubs and players “want that tackle to be laid and laid with some level of force, because they want to win the ball … we know their desire to win is really strong”.

“This one is a really hard one which I hope makes it clear that we’re in the margins. And that is really hard. Listening to the feedback … it’s how can we have a sliding scale available to us to capture this. I think that would be a worthy discussion to have,” she said.

“We usually have (that discussion) throughout the season. It’s not a change that would apply in season, and then we make those decisions ahead of the following year, so, but it’s one that I think we should start having. And as we’ve had a live example, you know, over the past week, it’s a worthy one to have to start having.”

Kane said she was reticent to explore a red card system despite recent calls for such, saying the league’s apprehension has been around potential errors.

LEAGUE TO CLAMP DOWN ON STAND RULE

The AFL has written to clubs on the stand rule, with umpires set to crack down on the “creep” that has snuck into players standing on the mark.

League football boss Laura Kane has labelled umpiring this season as “OK” with a number of late-game decisions that have potentially defined results over the first seven rounds.

Clubs received a memo from headquarters on Wednesday night which addressed the stand rule in particular after a number of clubs - including Essendon - raised concerns.

“I think probably what’s fair to say is the clubs are trying to find ways to benefit from the rules, and that’s their job,” Kane said.

“And sometimes and we don’t change the way we umpire - what we ask for is consistency.

“So we say, we want our umpires to umpire consistently and interpret the rules in a consistent way sometimes, and the stand rule is a really great example.

Could we see more 50 metre penalties paid this week? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“There’s creep, and some clubs in different parts of the ground are creeping, and we we try to hold a few weeks to see, is there a trend here? Are there a few clubs calling us about this?

“And last night, we wrote to the clubs and said, yeah, there’s creep here, and we we have met with some particular clubs, but we’ve written to all 18 clubs now to say that we will really hone in on this and focus on it.

“Nothing’s changed. The rule hasn’t changed, the way we officiate it hasn’t changed. It’s just that the creep is there. So we just need the umpires to be mindful of that, and they will be.”

Contact with umpires has also been raised with clubs in the memo, with clubs reminded that free kicks can be paid if contact occurs.

“It’s tricky to officiate that, so we don’t want to get there,” Kane said on SEN.

Kane said the league remained “hard on ourselves” when it came to umpiring and that the whistleblowers were their own harshest critics.

Laura Kane has told clubs to expect harsher calls on the stand rule. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

“It’s been OK (so far this season),” she said.

“We’re pretty hard on ourselves, and we want the umpiring to be as good as it possibly can be. Our umpires are the first to tell us when they make a mistake they don’t want to make errors.

“And whilst we can have a look at review sat many angles, we’re talking about it before, many angles in slow-mo on the high definition cameras. It’s not what they see, but it’s still really important that they make the right decision.

“Where I’ve been disappointed is when decisions late in games are made in error, and they’re the ones that we’re focused on trying to make sure clearly we want a consistency and the umpires do a really good job, but they’re the ones that we’re honing in on and making sure that we can lift that standard and make it as good as it possibly can be for the players, but also for the fans.

“So it’s something that we’re working on at the moment.”

Originally published as AFLPA backs calls to revamp MRO after Paul Curtis’ ban