Official confirmation from the AFL

[joffaboy]

It is now acceptable to pick off unsuspecting players 30 metres off the ball if in the opinion of the MRP

a) you dont "run" at the player
b) the "main" contact is on the body (doesn't matter if the head is hit and it is 30 metres off the ball.
c) you dont jump
d) you dont use an elbow.

This is the intrepretation of the MRP.

However if you have no vision, the player stops and the victim runs into the back of you, you get 7 weeks.

This is beyond pathetic and shows that the AFL is corrupt.

Meanwhile X Clarke is carried off on a stretcher completely unprotected.

So we have

Goose getting hit b Hall - no suspension
Kosi fractured skull - no charge
X Clarke knocked out - no charge.

Meahwhile Mooney is suspended for a lovetap with his foot.

Well done AFL protect the players from a tap to the foot, but let unprotected and unsuspected players 30 metres off the ball get completely iron out and no charge.

Co-incidence that it always happens to the Saints?

Yup I must be paranoid

[Mr Magic]

Well then Joffaboy, there's at least 2 of us who think something 'smells fishy' here.

[bigcarl]

a disgrace. whatever happened to protecting the player with his eye on the ball. it seems that geelong can do no wrong

[markp]

Moronic Reprehensible Pr1cks....

[saintDal]

Don't forget Whelan on Luke ball

Co-incidence that it always happens to the Saints?

Yup I must be paranoid

Funny I was just thinking this before I even clicked oh this thread.

The other clubs must be sitting back having a quiet chuckle about how they can get away with stuff like this

[joffaboy]

Don't forget Whelan on Luke ball

Co-incidence that it always happens to the Saints?

Yup I must be paranoid

Funny I was just thinking this before I even clicked oh this thread.

The other clubs must be sitting back having a quiet chuckle about how they can get away with stuff like this

At least Whelan blocked and it was basically a head clash. I believe that it was just bad luck for Ball.

Whelan actually done his neck in and was out for a couple of weeks.

[saintDal]

Don't forget Whelan on Luke ball

Co-incidence that it always happens to the Saints?

Yup I must be paranoid

Funny I was just thinking this before I even clicked oh this thread.

The other clubs must be sitting back having a quiet chuckle about how they can get away with stuff like this

At least Whelan blocked and it was basically a head clash. I believe that it was just bad luck for Ball.

Whelan actually done his neck in and was out for a couple of weeks.

Whelan still jumped into Ball. But yeah, it wasn't off the ball or anything like that.

I think in these cases players should have a duty of care. They were all uneccessary. They didn't gain anything from it except for causing injury. The MRP should take that into account.

[Saintschampions08]

Don't forget Whelan on Luke ball

Co-incidence that it always happens to the Saints?

Yup I must be paranoid

Funny I was just thinking this before I even clicked oh this thread.

The other clubs must be sitting back having a quiet chuckle about how they can get away with stuff like this

At least Whelan blocked and it was basically a head clash. I believe that it was just bad luck for Ball.

Whelan actually done his neck in and was out for a couple of weeks.

Whelan still jumped into Ball. But yeah, it wasn't off the ball or anything like that.

I think in these cases players should have a duty of care. They were all uneccessary. They didn't gain anything from it except for causing injury. The MRP should take that into account.

They do take it into account.

The injury was unnecessary, but the shepherd was not.

[Enrico_Misso]

So what would happen if Lyon told our players this week to systematically look for Essendon players off the ball, concentrating on the ball rather than their immediate opponents, and systematically take them out with well timed shoulder bumps to the head ?

We might be able to take out 6 or 7 if we did some practise at training.

This is now an officially endorsed policy of the AFL.
Why not exploit it ?

Is this what the AFL wants ?

[joffaboy]

So what would happen if Lyon told our players this week to systematically look for Essendon players off the ball, concentrating on the ball rather than their immediate opponents, and systematically take them out with well timed shoulder bumps to the head ?

We might be able to take out 6 or 7 if we did some practise at training.

This is now an officially endorsed policy of the AFL.
Why not exploit it ?

Is this what the AFL wants ?

As long as you

1 - the bulk of the contact is to the body. (doesn't matter apparently if there is head contact).

2 - Dont use an elbow as part of the contact.. ( A shoulder, forearm, knee, or headbutt is OK apparently)

3 - Do not leave the ground during his action.. (Doesn't matter if you hit the guy in the head as long as you dont jump, so make sure you hit the smaller players)

4 - Do not run a great distance to make contact. Run a short distance, make sure that you get mostly body (but some head is OK of course), hit them with anything but an elbow, all the while making sure you are hitting somebody much smaller than you so you dont have to jump, but the reall bigger, the coup de grace, the show stopper...........


You can hit a player totally unsuspecting in the head more than 5 metres off the ball.

oss Lyon and all coches should instruct the players to ply to this new AFL directive.

Apparently gutless cowardly play is now allowed by the AFL. Not just allowed encouraed.

Lyon will be derilict in his duty if he doesn't instruct his players to snipe (within the guidelines of course) and take out smaller unsuspecting players.

Apparenlty this is how the AFl wants the game to be played .

go Figure?????

[barks4eva]

C'mon guys, this is all good

We've finally found a way to beat Geelong

Next time we play them we just run though them when they are not looking and suspecting contact because they are not in the play

I reckon this is fantastic

When Bartel is standing in the middle of the ground watching Looney lining up a goal, 30 metres away, just get Gehrig to run though him and knock him into next week, when he is not expecting contact to be made

Same goes for Selwood, Chapman, Ling, etc...etc...etc...

Obviously it's all legitimate, I knew there was a way we could find their measure, sooner rather than later

Perhaps the AFL were trying to even up the competition and showing other teams how they can beat Geelong

A shame that X had to be used as an example, but obviously this is all legitimate now, so we just need to run through them off the ball and it's all perfectly legal

FAIR DINKUM

[saint66au]

You know whats truly scary about your summation JB??

Barry Hall didnt leave the ground, run to the contest or use his forearm

Will prolly get a week for contact to the head

[bigcarl]

So what would happen if Lyon told our players this week to systematically look for Essendon players off the ball, concentrating on the ball rather than their immediate opponents, and systematically take them out with well timed shoulder bumps to the head ?

We might be able to take out 6 or 7 if we did some practise at training.

This is now an officially endorsed policy of the AFL.
Why not exploit it ?

Is this what the AFL wants ?

good call

[Iceman234]

I wish we could get Gehrig to run through SOMEONE. He is the biggest waste of a massive 105 kg frame running around in the AFL right now.

For some reason Saints supporters think he is an enforcer – he isn’t, wasn’t and never will be unless he fires up in his last year of football.

Geelong who used to be our bitches are tough hardened FOOTBALLERS who have an aggression that can only be envied by us now.

The hit on Dal was there, the trip from Moons was there, the hit on X was fairly dealt with by the MRP. It was tough uncompromising football even though at the time I though it unfair. Hindsight of watching the replay many times – X should have had more awareness and I’d be stoked if our blokes could deliver that. But we can’t.

What does it matter anyway because we don’t play Geelong for quite a while now, if at all again this year.

We need to worry about how we approach the next month, not how tough Geelong were against us.

[jill]

Was about to start a familiar thread - so pleased I did a mini check.
Am angry with Saints fans criticising X's "lack of vision" . just as I was furious with "experts" querying Kosi's "lack of vision vs Doggies!!!
"Always keep your eyes on the ball", "play the ball" are expected in our great game, as is going in hard, shirt fronts, contact!!! But taking out players who are following play & 20 - 30 metres off the ball is cowardly & reportable. While the Whelan "hit" on Ball was in play, 1 was playing the ball, the other the man & again was cowardly & reportable!
Have the Saints ben "victimised"? - we've certainly paid a high price for players out injured through these incidents, have rarely cost "victims" match time in recent years. Hope Barry Hall gets the book thrown at him - just as he would have if he was R,B&Winstead of R&W - AFL should have NEVER allowed him to get away with the hit on McGuire!

[AlpineStars]

There is another inconsistancy in round 2 Barry Hall wacked Gram in the guts the same as he did Goose, there was vision of it clearly so I have no idea why he wasn't cited but if he had been he would also have carry over points? The people who review these video's are morons my dog could do a better job.

It is absolutely perplexing to know why this bloke wasn't cited for the hit on X.

[Iceman234]

Jill, there is also a thing called peripheral vision which comes into it.

I have watched the X incident numerous times now and I just think he had none.

It’s like we get taught when driving that we have to look ahead on the road – forward observations – but the peripheral vision of what can come out from parked cars, driveways, side streets etc. needs to be observed also.

I had the same opinion when Kosi got cleaned up – yeah we all hate the Dogs supporter who called him a sook etc., but you have to be switched on to the overall surroundings. We all felt sick by seeing Kosi get taken off like that – but I never once blamed Gia.

Gia and West both had nothing to answer to – so I guess the MRP and I are totally wrong yet again and everyone else who can’t open both eyes are right.

As a Saints supporter I would be so happy to see someone step up and do the same type of hit on an oppo player. Conspiracy theorists of course will suggest we will get rubbed out, but I disagree.

Bakes sunk himself by saying what happened, on poor legal advice. Not a conspiracy. Poor advice.

In fact I’d just be happy to see any of our players fly a flag for once instead of being the insipid receivers of aggression they currently seem to be.

Right or wrong, no-one came in and remonstrated against West.

[nicko016]

X may lack peripheral vision but you shouldn't need to worry about what's around you when you're 20-30 metres away and not in the contest. He wasn't putting pressure on the player, obviously wasn't in the play making a lead, and wasn't even in a position where the ball looked like coming. In the Kosi incident he was in the play and trying to put on pressure. X was in the contest no more than someone down the other end of the field. You can't expect players to have to always be aware that they might cop a hit.

[Iceman234]

Will have to look again at the footage - I had the ball carrier to X's left, and not too far away.

[Iceman234]

And I think professional footballers should have the peripheral vision to know what's around them at all times.

I have to at work, 8 hours every day.

[Enrico_Misso]

Jill, there is also a thing called peripheral vision which comes into it.

I have watched the X incident numerous times now and I just think he had none.

It’s like we get taught when driving that we have to look ahead on the road – forward observations – but the peripheral vision of what can come out from parked cars, driveways, side streets etc. needs to be observed also.

I understood that when that animal Gary "4 Grandfinals 4 hopeless performances" Hocking took out Harvey at a centre bounce in that memorable match at KP they changed the rule to make it illegal to take out a player off the ball.


Iceman, by your definition, if whilst driving legally on an open road, a driver comes out at you against a stop sign and slams into the side of your car, it is YOUR fault for not being aware of his approach and adjusting your driving to avoid him.

[joffaboy]

And I think professional footballers should have the peripheral vision to know what's around them at all times.

I have to at work, 8 hours every day.

You get 105kg blokes caeering into your body and head at your work do you?

I saw the incident clearly. It was about 50 meres from the pocket I sit in on L2. The ball was at least ten metres away, X started to jog in the general direction of the ball and West smashed right down the middle, hitting him in the head and knocking him out.

Why the f### does a plyer need to have peripheral vision when he is not in the bloody play?

Should Kosi be alowed to run through Scarlett and smash him in the head while Bartel is taking a shot at the other end?

Is this football or just cowardly thuggery?

[Iceman234]

Jill, there is also a thing called peripheral vision which comes into it.

I have watched the X incident numerous times now and I just think he had none.

It’s like we get taught when driving that we have to look ahead on the road – forward observations – but the peripheral vision of what can come out from parked cars, driveways, side streets etc. needs to be observed also.

I understood that when that animal Gary "4 Grandfinals 4 hopeless performances" Hocking took out Harvey at a centre bounce in that memorable match at KP they changed the rule to make it illegal to take out a player off the ball.


Iceman, by your definition, if whilst driving legally on an open road, a driver comes out at you against a stop sign and slams into the side of your car, it is YOUR fault for not being aware of his approach and adjusting your driving to avoid him.

Sorry EM but I didn't see that the player West came out of a side street.

X should have seen him coming and dealt with it, the whole thing should have been avoided on a wide open paddock with no street signs.

I reckon if I'd been driving through that that wide open paddock I would have seen it and avoided it.

Obviously I have been wrong about the X and Kosi ones now, even though I've called no case to answer on both.

With two eyes I have called them both right, but oh no I guess I'm part of the MRP conspiracy.

Maybe, just maybe, I am right for once (twice).

And maybe, just maybe, others need to place their second eye in the socket that it's meant to go in.

If one of our tough guys (?) had done that, you would be livid if it even got mentioned to the MRP FFS.

I love X as a player, person and ambassador, but it did not warrant a report.

[joffaboy]

Did you actually see the incident ICeman or are you relying on TV footage, because I saw it as clear as a bell and the ball was nowhere near X and he was blindside by the coward thug West.

But good on you protecting a thug and critisising the victim, must make you feel real superior.

[Iceman234]

And I think professional footballers should have the peripheral vision to know what's around them at all times.

I have to at work, 8 hours every day.

You get 105kg blokes caeering into your body and head at your work do you?

I saw the incident clearly. It was about 50 meres from the pocket I sit in on L2. The ball was at least ten metres away, X started to jog in the general direction of the ball and West smashed right down the middle, hitting him in the head and knocking him out.

Why the f### does a plyer need to have peripheral vision when he is not in the bloody play?

Should Kosi be alowed to run through Scarlett and smash him in the head while Bartel is taking a shot at the other end?

Is this football or just cowardly thuggery?

Sorry Joffaboy I should know that you know better about my job...

You think West smashed X when the ball was down the other end?

You serious?

This is football.

X was I reckon 8 - 12 metres from the ball, looking to the ball carrier and a fair dinkum hip and shoulder was delivered...

Go back to mixed netball if you think that's unfair. Or get a copy of it and watch it as an AFL football fan, and consider it with the jumpers reversed.

Then tell me it's wrong FFS.