The AFL’s crackdown on punching must see Gary Ablett suspended, Jon Ralph writes

The AFL promised a crackdown on punches to the head in mid-2017 but so far this year players have been able to elbow each other and get away with it but Michael Christian must pull the trigger and suspend Gary Ablett for his brain fade.

Gary Ablett struck Anthony Miles in the jaw.

Gary Ablett doesn’t deserve a week for stupidity.

He doesn’t deserve a week for being a grumpy old man who hasn’t learnt his lesson.

He should be suspended for punching Anthony Miles because that’s what the AFL promised under its crackdown on strikes to the head midway through 2017.

WATCH THE GARY ABLETT INCIDENT IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

Their promise was this — if you punch a player in the head, you will almost certainly be suspended.

Which is exactly what Ablett did — inexplicably — against Miles late in Saturday night’s win.

In the kind of push-and-shove Ablett has endured and ignored a million times, he instead decided to retaliate.

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First the swinging open-handed left went harmlessly past Miles’ jaw. Then he connected with the right-hander to the bottom of his jaw with enough force to see Miles rock his head back in shock.

Chris Scott recently urged the media not to be swayed by emotion and instead consider the MRO guidelines.

So these are the facts.

When Trent Cotchin’s jumper punch on Lachie Neale was punished with only a fine in Round 8, 2017, then AFL football boss Simon Lethlean promised a crackdown.

Gary Ablett struck Anthony Miles in the jaw.

Miles grabs his face after being struck by Ablett.

“My view is that I don't like the current practice of on-field punches by players,” he said. “I am strong on that view. As of this weekend’s matches, players and clubs are on notice that we won’t tolerate it. The MRP is well aware of my views.”

This year a series of elbows from high-profile players have gone unpunished by the MRO or tribunal from Ablett, Nathan Fyfe and Luke Parker.

At least MRO boss Michael Christian cited Ablett for his first elbow to Dylan Shiel before the tribunal let him off. At least with those incidents all could be argued that the players were in the act of play.

Ablett missed with his first cuff on Miles and then leaned in and struck him in an incident Christian has to categorise as off the ball and intentional.

If Christian argues it is of insufficient force, what is the lesson for all grades of football — that you have to drop a rival or break their jaw to be suspended?

If you promise a crackdown on high contact but the only players sanctioned are Ivan Soldo and James Cousins, what kind of crackdown is it?