Even Gerard Whateley was sympathetic to the Higgins case.Scollop wrote: ↑Wed 01 May 2024 8:32pm Gerard Whateley said if you’re going to tackle someone who is upright then you’re better off letting them get a kick or handball away, rather than tackling them to ground and risking suspension.
Have a read of a conversation they had on Fox Sports 2 weeks ago - before the Higgins Aliir incident. Gerard Whateley predicted that if a player tackles someone and pins their arm… then that will be deemed dangerous and worthy of suspension, regardless if it was a sling tackle or not.
That’s not a coincidence that he said that. Gerard has a journalism background and he’s well connected. He’s probably communicating what he’s hearing from the AFL.
My issue is that the AFL haven’t come out and said that to players and coaches. What Payne argued at the tribunal was that Higgins began to rotate Aliir prior to Aliir attempting to kick the footy while he was horizontal.
Can you imaging if you’re in a close game where there’s seconds left until the final siren and you’ve been practicing all year NOT to bring your opponent to ground and to NOT pin an arm so your opponent is able to get a kick away or a handball away. Can you imagine if the opposition score because you didn’t pin an arm or bring him to ground? Can you imagine if it’s a prelim final?
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/no-mom ... 465300cb5d
What does that tell us!!!