Richo calls for 'tunnelling' ban

[RoseInOz]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/r ... tml?page=2
Len Johnson and Richard Hinds | March 26, 2008

"RICHMOND forward Matthew Richardson said yesterday the AFL should act decisively to prevent any use of the controversial tactic of "tunnelling" in marking contests.

"Tunnelling" involves taking a player's body under the ball while he is in the air, and carries the risk of the target landing heavily while unprotected.

Richardson said the player going for a mark should not be subjected to unfair interference. Being thrown off balance while in the air could lead to a high risk of serious injury, he said.

"Once you're in the air and your feet are off the ground, if you get taken off balance, you've got no control how you land," Richardson said. "So it's not something you'd want to happen. You'd get blokes landing and doing their knees. Once a guy is in the air and going for a mark, if he's pushed, it gets dangerous."

Richardson, who is in his 16th AFL season, said he had no personal concerns as he felt the tactic had only ever been used against him once or twice over that time. But he had seen it used in ruck contests.

The tactic has come under the spotlight after St Kilda alleged it was used against Nick Riewoldt in last Saturday night's game against Sydney. They say the tactic was used against Riewoldt on occasions last year as well.

The Saints are putting together a case to take to the AFL umpiring department later this week.

The umpiring department has admitted that free kicks could have been paid to Riewoldt against his immediate opponent, Craig Bolton, in two incidents in the second half of the game.

In both of them, Bolton used his body to nudge Riewoldt under the ball, causing the Saint to land heavily. In one case, Riewoldt's head appeared to contact with the ground.

But Bolton insists he has never practised or been instructed to use the tactic, which was banned in basketball. "No, definitely not," said Bolton when asked if the Sydney defenders had worked on pushing into their opponents as they marked, something Saints' chief executive Archie Fraser claims had endangered Riewoldt.

"Sometimes you back into a contest and it happens (an opponent will flip over) but if the insinuation is that you are trying to do that or hurt him, then no way," Bolton said.

Bolton was adamant there was nothing premeditated about any contests in which Riewoldt fell awkwardly last Saturday night. "The first thing I really knew about it (St Kilda's complaint) was by reading about it, so it's a bit hard to really say what the problem is," he said. "But, if it happened more than once, then it was a coincidence."

Swans coach Paul Roos was equally nonplussed by the accusation. "I played a lot of basketball as a kid and, to be quite honest, I've never heard of tunnelling," he said. "I must admit I would like some clarification from the St Kilda footy club because if they are saying that anyone would go out to deliberately hurt someone, then, that's a big call."

Roos is a close friend of St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, a former Swans assistant, and worked for Fraser during his playing days with Fitzroy selling office equipment. "I don't know if Archie is dirty on me because I didn't sell enough photocopiers but, at some stage, I'll have a word to Ross about it," Roos said.

Roos and Bolton yesterday reviewed the incidents during their regular post-match analysis. Roos said that on one occasion, the ball had been kicked over Riewoldt's head, Bolton judged the flight better, spun in the air attempting to go backwards and put a hand on the St Kilda forward to steady himself.

"Craig pushes him in the hip but it's only to keep his balance, not to push over Nick," he said.

Roos was hopeful any review would not put more pressure on his relatively short key defenders. "Hopefully, St Kilda are just looking for some sort of clarification about the rule. We might have to get the same thing and we can all move on."

St Kilda's communications manager Matt Schmidt said yesterday the football department was putting together a package from the game that it would present to the AFL umpiring department.

Schmidt said the club had not been unduly concerned for Riewoldt's safety during the game but it believed "the tactics are dangerous".

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league was already aware of the tactic as it applied to ruck contests. There were examples provided in the DVD sent by the umpiring department to clubs clarifying aspects of the rules of the game.

He said the umpiring department had already reviewed the St Kilda-Sydney game and "it was their view that the officiating umpires should have paid one, and maybe two, free kicks" to Riewoldt.

Interference with a player going for a mark, or with a ruckman with eyes for the ball in a ruck contest, should result in a free kick, Keane said, "because the player in the air is vulnerable".

The incidents were judged as "a missed free kick", he said, nothing more, nothing less.

Keane said the AFL had not received any complaints from other clubs about the tactic, but the league was concerned about anything that "can potentially cause injury".

[m_m]

richo's a tossser

[Gilbert=Legend]

It must be banned to stop players getting hurt

[Ralphy]

richo's a tossser

Your a tosser, lol

richo is one of richmonds best forwards and the games best forwards.

[stinger]

i posted that article this morning

[RoseInOz]

This was posted late last night.

[m_m]

richo's a tossser

Your a tosser, lol

richo is one of richmonds best forwards and the games best forwards.

doesnt mean i have to like him

[Ralphy]

i know...

[Huzzad]

Good on Richo for coming out in support of Roo and saying it had happened to him too.

[Eastern]

Daryl Wakelin as good as said that he knew of/practiced tunnelling in an interview on 3AW tonight. Was a bit coy about it as he is now a Board Member at Port !!