North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson wants tribunal changes, fearing too many outcome-based bans

The ban handed to Melbourne’s Steven May didn’t surprise the four-time premiership coach, but it was how the AFL got there he thinks needs to be changed.

Alastair Clarkson says the game has got an obligation to protect players. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has put the acid on newly appointed AFL football boss Greg Swann to make “good decisions about what the game looks like” amid the “hysteria” over Melbourne defender Steven May’s ban.

The Kangaroos were on the end of a similar suspension earlier in the season when youngster Jackson Archer was rubbed out for what most considered a pure attack on the footy.

Melbourne is appealing May’s three-week ban after a tribunal hearing during which the Archer incident was raised as a “precedent” for the AFL’s desire that players should slow down earlier to prevent entering the contest in a dangerous manner.

Clarkson said May’s ban showed a consistency in terms of what’s expected but still left a key issue of “outcome-based” suspensions needing to be addressed,

The four-time premiership coach hoped Swann, a long-time club chief executive now in charge of addressing a raft of issues, puts the matter on his agenda in the off-season.

“It’s pretty consistent in terms of the clarity,” Clarkson said of the May ban.

Steven May v Francis Evans. Picture: Fox Footy

“If you hit someone in the head, you are in a bit of strife. Our concern as football followers is it’s just too outcome based.

“But Greg Swann has come into the AFL and there will be smarter minds than mine who address that at the end of the year.”

Clarkson said it was important that decisions were made in a calm environment amid claims the May ban could hurt the fabric of the game.

“It creates a little bit of hysteria now because guys miss games of footy, but they will work it out,” he said.

“The game has got an obligation to protect players and the way they go about their footy and the welfare for the future of the game, we are all in support of that.

“We just need to make sure the powers that be make good decisions in the off-season about what the game looks like going forward.”

Luke Cleary is taken from the ground on a stretcher after an incident with Jackson Archer. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Western Bulldogs youngster Luke Cleary was concussed in the incident that resulted in Archer’s suspension and his coach Luke Beveridge said the outcome in May’s case was not unexpected.

“I felt Jackson Archer just went, you know, as hard as he could at the football. Luke Cleary was coming the other way, doing the same thing. It was an unfortunate thing. It’s a collision, and Luke was concussed,” Beveridge said.

“Both of the lads in the picture on this one (May and Carlton’s Francis Evans) seem to be doing the same thing. Obviously, one came off worse for wear.

“So based on what happened with Jackson, it hasn’t necessarily surprised me that there’s been a suspension. Do I agree with it? Probably not. But it didn’t surprise me that the suspension is there.”

Originally published as North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson wants tribunal changes, fearing too many outcome-based bans