AFL world stunned by reaction to Shaun Burgoyne tackle

The footy world is up in arms because Hawthorn legend Shaun Burgoyne is the beneficiary of a mystifying ruling after his on-field offence.

Shaun Burgoyne pleaded his innocence after tackling Patrick Dangerfield.

Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has smacked down the decision to fine Shaun Burgoyne for a dangerous tackle on the weekend rather than suspend him.

Burgoyne came under scrutiny for his sling tackle on Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield in the Cats’ 17.6 (108) to 7.5 (47) win over Hawthorn on Friday night, but Match Review Officer Michael Christian deemed the incident as careless conduct and low impact, ruling it didn’t warrant a ban.

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Burgoyne will be able to accept a $1000 fine with an early guilty fine and be free to play Richmond at the MCG on Thursday.

Dangerfield was left dazed by the heavy knock and Lyon is “staggered” Burgoyne didn’t receive a much harsher penalty, believing sling tackles that pose a risk of concussion need to be stamped out of the game.

“The AFL should come out this morning and say, ‘We the AFL are appealing the decision that was handed down by the MRO. We don’t think it is consistent with how we see the concussion issue in footy’,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.

“That was dangerous any way you look at it and it was only lucky that Dangerfield didn’t incur a much more serious head injury.

“One arm was held in tight and it was a severe sling tackle into the turf. Now that is an absolute definition of what we want to get out of our game and yet the AFL, they talk the talk, they don’t walk the walk when it comes to this and concussion and that is a very poor decision and they should appeal it today.

“I’m staggered. I thought it was a two-week suspension and I’m stunned.

“To fine Shaun Burgoyne, as opposed to suspending him, is a really dangerous and a really poor decision by the AFL. They go and make a decision that flies in the face of everything they say.”

Concussion expert Alan Pearce, who has conducted research at the request of the AFL, was also concerned Burgoyne got off lightly.

“Those are the kinds of impact tackles that lead towards long-term brain damage,” Pearce told the Herald Sun. “Dangerfield wasn’t concussed but they are the sort of heavy impacts we are so concerned about.

“This is an obvious example of rough play that can lead to long-term brain damage.”

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Most believe Shaun Burgoyne has been lucky to escape a suspension.

Dangerfield’s teammates weren’t impressed with the Hawk’s attack.

Western Bulldogs champion Brad Johnson said only fining Burgoyne sends a “terrible message to the footy community”.

“Unbelievable,” Johnson said on Fox Footy. “It’s a bad message.

“That’s a dangerous action. That sling is no good. It shouldn’t be part of our game.

“Look at the aggressiveness — Danger is lucky he put his arm down, but he could’ve popped the shoulder. His head hits the ground and he gets up, but it’s a terrible message to the footy community that you can get away with that.”

Former Richmond and Western Bulldogs star Nathan Brown believes Burgoyne benefited from the “good bloke” factor, suggesting another player without his esteemed reputation in the game would have been suspended.

“If (GWS star) Toby Greene had done the same thing the other night it would have been one or two weeks automatically,” Brown said on the Sunday Footy Show.

“Maybe there was a bit of a ‘good bloke’ factor about it.”

Journalist and fellow Sunday Footy Show panellist Damian Barrett agreed with Brown and was critical of the decision to let Burgoyne off.

“I’m with you on this, the ‘good bloke’ factor has kicked in on Shaun Burgoyne,” Barrett said.

“I’m pretty strong on this, the Match Review Panel … on the back of giving him a fine and not a suspension has rescinded the right to be able to say that they actually do care for the player’s head.

“That is a pinned arm, that is a sling motion, it is what the players are now told is illegal and too much weight in my eyes is given to how the player who is tackled is injured.

“That was just a miracle that he (Dangerfield) wasn’t hurt more than he was.”