AFL 2020: Garry Lyon slams double standards after Dustin Martin decision

An angry Garry Lyon has called out the AFL for double standards by allowing an ugly part of the game to fester for too long.

Garry Lyon has called out the AFL's double standards.

Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has blasted the AFL for “condoning” punching instead of stamping it out after Dustin Martin was only fined for striking.

The Richmond superstar can accept a $1750 fine with an early guilty plea for hitting Port Adelaide’s Tom Rockliff during the Power’s 13.15 (93) to 11.6 (72) win over the Tigers on Monday night — his third charge for such an offence in two seasons.

Last month the 2017 Brownlow Medallist copped a $1000 fine for striking North Melbourne’s Luke McDonald.

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Lyon believes by fining Martin rather than suspending him, the AFL is sending a message it doesn’t take punching seriously.

“We’ve been told about this punching. These come into vogue and then they go out of vogue,” Lyon said during Tuesday night’s episode of Fox Footy’s On The Couch.

“Dustin gives a little right (hand) to the neck (of Rockliff), so that’s a fine for Dustin. It’s the second fine for striking after this punch to the guts (on McDonald).

“The AFL, if you’re watching: You are condoning punching to the head and punching to the guts.

“So don’t tell us in any other way, because you’re not taking a stand and you’re not stamping out punching to the head. You are kidding yourself and don’t tell us any anything else either.”

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Should Dustin Martin have been

The AFL said it would be cracking down on punching after Eagle Andrew Gaff’s sickening strike on Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw in 2018 that knocked the youngster’s teeth out and broke his jaw.

But Lyon accused the league of double standards and failing to walk the walk.

“Don’t ever come back to us and tell us you’re taking striking seriously again as they did about a year or two ago,” he added on SEN Breakfast.

“‘Oh, we want to stamp out striking, it’s a bad look for the game, it sends a really bad message’. That is disingenuous rot from the AFL.

“So, Dusty went for the third time in two years for striking on the weekend. Just punched (Rockliff) in the throat — and OK it wasn’t that hard, but is that what you want?

“If that was his first time then I can accept ‘not enough force’, but it’s the third time in two years for striking and he hasn’t missed a game.

“I’m not going to go on about it, but don’t ever come back and say, ‘Oh the look of the game is important to us and we want to stamp out striking’ because that is just rot. Unmitigated rot.”