David King calls on the AFL Tribunal to hand out monster ban

A former AFL hardman has called on the league to hand out a monster ban after a star’s horror act knocked a rival out cold.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 25: Patrick Parnell of the Crows on the ground and in the hands of trainers after being tackled by Nathan Broad of the Tigers during the 2023 AFL Round 02 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Richmond Tigers at Adelaide Oval on March 25, 2023 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

David King is calling on the AFL Tribunal to come down hard on Richmond’s Nathan Broad after he was sent directly through by match review officer Michael Christian.

Broad knocked Adelaide player Patrick Parnell out cold in the first quarter after dumping him on the turf outside the boundary line courtesy of a sling tackle.

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Broad wrapped his arms around Parnell near the boundary line before lifting him off the ground and slinging him to the turf.

Parnell remained down on the ground for several minutes as play was brought to a standstill as trainers rushed to his side.

He was subbed out instantly and will now miss next Saturday night’s showdown against Port Adelaide.

“He picked him up and spun him around. That’s the sort of action we’re trying to prevent because that can bring head injuries into play,” Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy.

“It’s not malicious, but it’s the wrong action.”

King believes the Tiger’s star should be handed a monstrous suspension for the act which he described as both deliberate and intending to inflict maximum damage.

Broad walks away from Parnell. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Being helped from the field. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I’m seriously interested in how many weeks they go for,” King said on SEN Whateley.

“I’m not happy with five (weeks), I think it’s six plus.

“This act, can we step through the difference between this and the bump?

“Most players go in just to make contact, they don’t necessarily go to hit the head and it’s part of our game.

“So to is tackling, but when you grab an arm and you know you’ve got that player – and often they’re light bodies – Patty Parnell is a light body.

“This is happening across the country, big kids tackling little kids, as soon as you know you’re slinging, you have a level of certainty of where the head is.

“You have got his whole frame in a wrap, including his arm, and when you give you the extra sauce at the end and really spin and rip that body with full force knowing the head is hitting the ground … these guys know, I won’t hear that they don’t know (the head is hitting the ground).

“It’s a deliberate act to inflict maximum damage.”

The dangerous tackle. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

A lengthy ban being handed down would send a message that sling tackle is not acceptable and could help stamp it out at the grassroots level.

“Now it is out of your hands, the Tribunal needs to influence and impact maximum damage,” King said.

“We’ve stuffed up the bump for three years, we’re still talking about it and still trying to take it out of the game.

“You can take the sling tackle out of the game this week, you can give six weeks and say, ‘If you do this guys, it’s six (weeks)’.

“It’s not, ‘Oh, it’s two, and we’ll find grounds to get you down to one, it’s not severe and you didn’t quite knock him out … thanks for not knocking him out so you get one week’.

“No, the act and the action is incredibly dangerous, we don’t want kids seeing this.

“We don’t want parents deciding whether their kids play footy because of these acts.

“You stamp it out now or you lose the fight … I’m sort of a bit tired about losing this fight, I think it’s time for the AFL to take over.

“Now ask for six weeks, don’t ask for four, if they ask for four, we’ve lost the fight.”