‘Not good enough’: Debate erupts as proof emerges AFL high tackle rule is broken

The AFL has been urged to crack down on a loophole in a rule after being accused of umpiring one player differently and causing confusion.

Is Jack Ginnivan being umpired differently to everyone else? (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

The AFL is being urged to clarify the high tackle rule after being accused of making a total mess of its interpretation and umpiring one player differently to the rest.

Collingwood youngster Jack Ginnivan has sparked debate as players look to adopt his free kick tactic dubbed the “Ginnivan rule”, by dropping their height in tackles to win free kicks.

And the strategy seems to be working, with the high tackle count up 25 per cent this season.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

After successfully exploiting the rule this season, Ginnivan appeared to be unfairly denied several high tackle free kicks in Collingwood’s win over Adelaide on Saturday.

Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes slammed the AFL for changing its interpretation of the rule mid-season.

“We’re the only league in the world that changes its interpretation mid-year and doesn’t tell the fans,” he said on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.

“How can you have a competition that pays this for two thirds of the season and then all of sudden decides, ‘Nah, that’s not a free kick anymore’.

“I just find it really frustrating that as a league we change interpretations — we won’t tell anyone — just because it’s in the news, he doesn’t get them.”

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury, Fremantle’s Michael Walters, West Coast star Liam Ryan and Demon Kysaiah Pickett were all paid high tackle free kicks on the weekend, despite Ginnivan being denied in a similar situation.

Jack Ginnivan isn’t get free kicks for high tackles anymore. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

“Just because Scott Pendlebury’s a star player and a good bloke, he ducks into a free kick and he gets it, whereas Jack Ginnivan doesn’t,” Cornes continued.

“The confusion around this rule continues to boggle the mind. It’s just not good enough.

“I just think the AFL needs to clear this up once again and alert the fans to the way it’s going to be interpreted.”

AFL legend Wayne Carey also weighed in, saying Ginnivan was being treated differently.

“He’s being hit high deliberately now because they know it’s not being paid against them,” Carey told Triple M’s Sunday Rub.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Carey added: “Lots of players do the same and given a free kick?? It’s obvious in my opinion #myopinion have your own.”

St Kilda great Leigh Montagna said Ginnivan was definitely “umpired differently” and the increase in players dropping their knees to draw free kicks is cause for concern for the AFL.

“There are certainly more and more players doing it,” he said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“The footy players are smart, they are going, ‘Well, if you cant beat ‘em, join them. We’re getting free kicks, players are getting free kicks, I might as well do it as well’.

“That’s the thing I think is a concern for the AFL.

“We don’t want all of a sudden half the competition when they get ball in congestion playing for a free kick.”

Jack Ginnivan has opened a can of worms for the AFL. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Montagna said the AFL needs to crack down on players milking high tackles.

“It’s gone away from the Ginnivan chat to: ‘Do we want this in our game and get rewarded for it?’” he said.

“I think the AFL should not pay these as high contact. Call play on and players will stop playing for it.”

Kangaroos legend David King added: “I reckon if you do it and fail, if you intend to draw head contact and potentially head trauma, then the free kick should be against you.

“So you either get it right or get it wrong. You get a free kick if you’re taken high and the umpire says that’s a bad tackle, poor technique in the tackle.

“If you’re the one who instigates that high tackle, free kick against you. We’ve got to stamp it out.”

“We need the AFL to come out and give some clarity on what the rule is,” Montagna said.

“There’s some conjecture that if it’s high, it’s high. Somewhere along the lines it’ll have to tighten up.”

Originally published as ‘Not good enough’: Debate erupts as proof emerges AFL high tackle rule is broken