Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson calls on AFL to change the interpretation of the head-high rule

UPDATE: UMPIRE Jordan Bannister has used a brutally frank tweet to own up to a mistake in awarding a free kick to ducking Hawk Kade Stewart on Saturday.

Kade Stewart impressed on debut Picture: Wayne Ludbey

UPDATE: UMPIRE Jordan Bannister has used a brutally frank tweet to own up to a mistake in awarding a free kick to ducking Hawk Kade Stewart on Saturday.

Jordan Bannister moved to hose down more controversy over the high contact rule by tweeting on Sunday afternoon about his controversial decision at the MCG.

“No confusion ... I just paid a s--- free,” he tweeted.

“We average a couple of errors a game and always try to learn from errors.”

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said yesterday the AFL could fix the problem straight away by changing the interpretation of the high-contact rule, but he couldn’t see it happening before the end of the year because “they move slower than government”.

First-game Hawk Kade Stewart was awarded a controversial free kick in yesterday’s win over Melbourne after appearing to drive his head forward when tackled.

Bannister admitted on Saturday that it should not have been paid. AFL football operations boss Mark Evans confirmed play-on should have immediately been called.

“The free kick shouldn’t have been paid, even under the current interpretation,” he said.

“He ducked and it should have been called play-on. I rang (head umpiring coach) Hayden (Kennedy) last night and he spoke to the umpire.”

Kade Stewart gets a free kick early in last term Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Evans said no rule change is on the cards for now, but he admitted a balance must be struck between the techniques used by the player with the ball and the tackler.

“If we can find a balance ... that still discourages poor tackling but equally also discourages people from drawing head high contact, then that’s the answer,” he said on Triple M.

“It’s very difficult to umpire — I’m not sure we’re making it easier for them as we do that, but maybe that’s where the answer is.

“It’s about finding that balance. If coaches are coaching good tackling technique and also instructing their players, look, these are the actions we don’t want to see you do when you have the ball, and equally for umpiring we just try and get more consistent with adjudicating the rules, most things can sort themselves out.”

Hawthorn small forward Paul Puopolo said players who use the technique to draw head-high free kicks are becoming known in the competition.

“No one wants to get ripped around the neck to be honest, but players are doing it to get a free kick. It’s not good for the game,” he told 3AW.

“More players get frustrated because they’re giving away free kicks. The guys that are getting a lot of them are starting to cop it from opposition teams.”

NOT A MULTITASKER @gawndog37 admits he couldn't draw a high free kick if he wanted to @melbournefc #GameDay https://t.co/97Lw6ii3DU

— AFL Game Day (@7aflgameday) June 5, 2016

Clarkson said tightening the rule interpretation to not reward players who instigated high contact would end the debate.

“I think it could be done just like that, but they (the AFL) won’t do that; they’ll need to go through all their protocols, they move slower than government …. But I hope it will be done at the end of the year,” Clarkson said.

“It’s very, very easy for the umpires in my view, as long as the football world and the AFL and the Rules of the Game committee adjudicate it in that way.

“We’ve done it with the ducking of the head, and (AFL football operations manager) Mark (Evans) has been out there saying ‘we don’t want to make the head a free hit’.

“(But) at the moment players are using their heads as an opportunity to win a free kick and that is what’s dangerous ... very very dangerous.”

Clarkson did not have a particular issue with what Stewart did, saying while the interpretation remains the same, players will seek to win free kicks.

“We’ve got a couple (of players) that do it, but whilst it’s being adjudicated in that way, that’s what players are going to do if it can win them an easy free kick,” he said.

Kade Stewart wrestles with Bernie Vince after kicking a behind from the free kick. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“We’ve done some really good things in the game to protect guys from injury, but this one about the head at the moment. It’s not protecting the head in a sense because players are actually putting their head in a position where it can get whacked and that is going to be dangerous at some point in time.”

Clarkson was pleased the Hawks were able to grind out another tough win — their eighth of the season — even if the final margin did not reflect the fact they had 27 scoring shots to Melbourne’s 14.

“We just didn’t take some of our chances in the second quarter,” Clarkson said. “The chances we missed, Melbourne really capitalised in that period of the game, and that’s what made it a real arm wrestle.

“We were a bit disappointed we didn’t have more scoreboard ascendancy at the end of the first half, but full credit to Melbourne, they hung in there and found a way to score.”

Jack Gunston finished his 100th game on the bench after being trodden on in the wet conditions earlier in the game, but the Hawks are confident the injury was not a serious one.