Former AFL players concerned about future of tackling in wake of Brodie Grundy’s suspension
WHAT does the future hold for tackling? Former players including Wayne Carey and Luke Darcy are concerned after Brodie Grundy’s suspension. HAVE YOUR SAY
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IS the AFL heading towards a no tackling game?
That is the concern of some ex-players in the wake of Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy’s two-match ban.
Grundy was charged with rough conduct on Ben Brown after the North Melbourne forward suffered concussion as a result of a tackle where his arms were pinned and his head hit the Etihad Stadium turf.
DID THE MATCH REVIEW PANEL GET IT RIGHT? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW
While the Magpies have accepted the suspension, the future of tackling remains up in the air according some former players.
The match review panel’s decision to slap Grundy with a two-match sanction for what the officiating umpire adjudicated as a fair tackle on Saturday night has sparked outrage among some former players and fans.
His sanction came a week after Brownlow Medal favourite Patrick Dangerfield was ruled ineligible for the Medal for also copping a ban for a dangerous tackle.
Former Collingwood and Richmond forward Brian Taylor was one to voice his concerns, fearing the AFL is heading towards a no-tackling game.
“I am (worried about the future of tackling) if we’re going to jump at this and make rule changes because all of a sudden we’ve had a spate of these head knocks from sling tackles,” he said on Channel 7.
BANNED: GRUNDY ACCEPTS TWO-MATCH SUSPENSION
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ANALYSIS: NOTHING PERFECT ABOUT GRUNDY’S TACKLE
FALLOUT: ‘ACCIDENTS HAPPEN’ FORMER PLAYERS DEFEND GRUNDY
“We’ve seen the bump all but disappear and you’ve got to have other options now, when you go in to bump you’ve got to tackle.
“Now we’re being told yeah you can tackle but don’t pin the arms because if he falls over you might hurt him as well.
“We’re at risk of taking out the element of tackling in our game, which is very, very important.
“We’ve overreacted.”
23,434 tackles have been laid so far this season and on average 1171 laid per round. 30 free kicks have been paid for dangerous tackles from that total this year, an average of 1.5 per round.
1241 tackles were laid in Round 20 and from that 92 rewarded with a free kick and just two penalised for being deemed dangerous.
There was a free kick paid for a dangerous tackle in the North Melbourne-Collingwood clash on Saturday night, but it wasn’t against Brodie Grundy.
Kangaroos skipper Jack Ziebell was penalised for tackling Magpie Adam Treloar, with the Collingwood star landing on his head/neck and was clearly affected by the incident but was not concussed.
That tackle was not on the MRP statement as being assessed.
Former Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy believes Ziebell’s was more dangerous than Grundy’s and there needs to be an understanding that accidents happen.
“(Ziebell’s) was more aggressive, it was more of a sling than Brodie Grundy’s,” Darcy said. “That was a free kick and the umpire at the time said ‘aggressive tackle, free kick’.
“About a minute and a half later Grundy laid his tackle and the umpire said ‘perfect tackle, holding the footy’ and had a look at it (on the replay) and was still happy with that call.
“That’s confusing in the game if the umpires on the spot are rewarding someone for a two-week suspension like we find out today with Brodie Grundy.
This tackling situation is a debacle!! #MRP @AFL
— Sam Fisher (@SamFisher25) August 7, 2017
Can't wait for my boys to grow up and try and make it in the big time... ATFL. (Australian Touch Football League). What an absolute joke.
— Dylan Orval (@dylorval) August 7, 2017
After scouring through the MRP findings, I won't be shocked if I hear "contact" or "obstruction" down the umpires mic this weekend.
— Xavier Ellis (@XaviEllis18) August 7, 2017
The @AFLPlayers will lose the little confidence they had left in the MRP after todays outrageous decisions.
— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) August 7, 2017
“It is a collision sport and it takes bravery to play, so players get hurt in all sorts of ways in our game.
“I know we’ve got to try and legislate to stop things we have control over.
“I think occasionally in our game people are going to get hurt.
“Maybe we should take tackling out if you want to reduce concussion.”
A chorus of ex-AFL players including former Tiger and Bulldog Nathan Brown and Port Adelaide premiership midfielder Kane Cornes on Sunday jumped to Grundy’s defence, while Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell said the AFL is asking too much of the players.
North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey is worried the league is suspending players based on injury rather than the actions of dangerous and sling tackles it is trying to outlaw.
“Accidents happen. So many tackles yet we have one tackle like that where a guy goes off concussed. But that’s one in all of those tackles,” he said.
“We’re playing a physical game, this is a contact sport.
“That’s the problem for me ... do we want to suspend the action or is it just simply on the outcome?”
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson says he “absolutely” coaches his players to pin the arms so opposition can’t dispose of the ball but acknowledges issues arise when there is a slinging or aggressive drive into the ground motion.
But when asked on AFL360 whether the players and coaches can work back from it being unreasonable to leave a player concussed from a tackle, he said: “I think that makes it so difficult for the players because you’re now just talking about outcome.
“I think that’s really difficult for the player on game day.
“We don’t want him to get rid of the ball, we don’t want him to handball under our tackle.
“We’ve got to get rid of the forceful sling or forceful push to the ground, that’s the part that (needs to go).”
No one has any idea what's going on #AFL
— Matt jones (@MDjones00) August 7, 2017
@AFL congrats u have lost a 39 year supporter for banning @brodiegrundy for a fair tackle! Game is now incipid! Big marks to go next?
— Daniel Hatfield (@daniel_hatfield) August 7, 2017
So, @brodiegrundy suspended for 2 weeks for a tackle that he got a free kick for? The @AFLTribunal is in trouble..
— Gary Ring (@ringgary) August 7, 2017
So in summary, if Ben Brown doesn't get concussed Brodie Grundy would not have been suspended?
— Nick Homburg (@NickHomburg) August 7, 2017
Essendon great Tim Watson, whose son Jobe Watson is still playing for the Bombers, defended the AFL.
Given the crackdown on concussion and attempts to protect players from future health problems as a result of head knocks, Watson believes the league is protecting itself by suspending players for incidents like those involving Grundy and Dangerfield.
“They may very well have painted themselves into a corner (with the bans) but when you look at that tackle (Grundy’s) and when you looked at the tackle from the week before (Dangerfield’s), I would have thought that most players would have known that they needed to be a lot more careful this weekend when they lock their arms in a tackle,” he said.
“There is an element of risk playing our game but I also think the AFL are looking at what may happen down the track in terms of litigation against them as an organisation if they don’t do everything they can to legislate against (dangerous tackles).”
Originally published as Former AFL players concerned about future of tackling in wake of Brodie Grundy’s suspension
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