Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli in MRO hot water over hit on Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston

The Bulldogs’ superstar captain could be in for a mid-season holiday courtesy of this hit on the Power’s Dan Houston.

MELBOURNE - June 9 : Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli crashes into Dan Houston of the Power 2nd quarter during the round 13 AFL match between Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, on June 9, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Michael Klein.

Dogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli might be in hot water with the Match Review Panel for his hit on Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston on Friday night.

Midway through the second quarter with the Power leading 37-29, Houston was fumbling over a ground ball at the top of Port Adelaide’s defensive 50 when Bontempelli came in from the side, collecting Houston high and sparking remonstrations from Houston’s Power teammates.

Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

On commentary, Seven’s Brian Taylor wondered aloud whether there was any head-high contact involved, with high contact being reason enough for Bontempelli to face the match review panel.

“I wonder if there was any head-high contact in that,” Taylor said.

“It was a solid hit … the tip of the shoulder looks like it might have got (Houston) on the head there.”

Bontempelli with a big collision with Houston and collects him high. Anything to worry about here?

📺 Watch #AFLDogsPower on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5Vwhmfd1e
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/GXwsiZJugF
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/tVeE6S0pVvpic.twitter.com/3It04TNtav

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) June 9, 2023

At halftime, Seven commentator Matthew Richardson said that Bontempelli had clearly made efforts to avoid hitting Houston.

“He puts up his hand almost to stop,” Richardson said.

“I reckon initially he may have had a thought of coming in to tackle or bump, and clearly changed his mind at the last minute, and did well to avoid causing any damage, I thought.

“He was expecting Houston to come in and not fumble that and probably come in and tackle him or corral him.

“I think he did well in that situation.”

Bontempelli collides with Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston. Photo by Michael Klein.

Three-time Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge noted the Tribunal and Match Review Panel’s notably harsh approach to high contact this year.

“In saying that, we’ve been wrong a lot when it comes to the Tribunal this year,” Hodge joked.

Both players continued to play out the remainder of the game, and Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said after the game that Houston had reported no health issues or concussion symptoms, and that players were beginning to adjust to the league’s shift in approach to collisions.

“I think players, by the week, you can see the tackle attempts, you can see they are being more careful,” Hinkley said.

“The game is always played quite ferocious and we don’t need to make too much of taking contact out of the game as these blokes just go crazy at each other, they are pretty brave in how they play.”

Bontempelli had immediate consequences for the hit, with Houston’s Power teammates coming over to show their displeasure. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Speaking after the game, Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said that players had to contend with the challenge of “variables” based on the size of their opponent, and that he hoped the league would look to punish the intent of players, rather than the current approach of outcomes, which can see charges laid depending on whether players report concussion symptoms or not.

Beveridge used the example of St Kilda’s Dan Butler, who is currently facing a one-week suspension for his tackle on Sydney’s Nick Blakey on Thursday night.

“Young Blakey hasn’t got the broadest of shoulders so if he [Butler] is tackling a ruckman then maybe his head doesn’t hit the ground,” Beveridge said.

“So you can be a bit stiff depending on who you tackle as well, there are all those variables.

“I’m a big believer that when we look to evolve, that we really focus on intent to actually hurt a player.

“It should be the civil test, on the balance of probabilities, was it 51 per cent that he wasn’t trying to hurt him? Then that should be OK because there are accidents in sport.

“It’s a challenge in our game at the moment.

“A video package came out from the AFL around tackles and, ultimately, you choose whether you show the players because, they are just going to be unlucky if we keep going on the way we are.”

Originally published as Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli in MRO hot water over hit on Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston