AFL Round 23

[Lightning McQueen]

There is definitely a disconnect between the laws of the game stating a bump is legal yet the interpretations the tribunals especially in incidents where there is no high contact.

With that said i can completely understand why the AFL is as strict as it is. We all know the damage caused by concussion. Then the most irking one for me is when people say 'todays players are soft etc'. We know when it comes to car crashes its the size and speed that does damage, its no different on a football field. 90% of footballers these days are 6ft monsters who run like the wind with barely an inch of fat on them, their not smoking darts at half time etc. Even Houston is 6ft 1, 88kg (apparently) and would have body fat % under 10. His a machine!

Personally i think we are now at a point in the game where the AFL just needs to start cutting the 'grey areas' out. Potentially the only answer is that the bump is illegal and that tackling is the only legal action when 'attacking' a player with the ball. It would take a generation to come to fruition and maybe that would happen naturally anyway. Do juniors practice bumping, cant say ive seen our juniors practicing it?

The players need ribbons hanging off of their shorts so the umpires know when then have been "tackled", if you don't remove the ribbon it can be a free against for contact.

One simple solution which won't eradicate the problem but will soften the blow, make helmets mandatory.

[stan]

There is definitely a disconnect between the laws of the game stating a bump is legal yet the interpretations the tribunals especially in incidents where there is no high contact.

With that said i can completely understand why the AFL is as strict as it is. We all know the damage caused by concussion. Then the most irking one for me is when people say 'todays players are soft etc'. We know when it comes to car crashes its the size and speed that does damage, its no different on a football field. 90% of footballers these days are 6ft monsters who run like the wind with barely an inch of fat on them, their not smoking darts at half time etc. Even Houston is 6ft 1, 88kg (apparently) and would have body fat % under 10. His a machine!

Personally i think we are now at a point in the game where the AFL just needs to start cutting the 'grey areas' out. Potentially the only answer is that the bump is illegal and that tackling is the only legal action when 'attacking' a player with the ball. It would take a generation to come to fruition and maybe that would happen naturally anyway. Do juniors practice bumping, cant say ive seen our juniors practicing it?

Had a good laugh at the smoking darts at half time line, Ah the good old days.

Seriously though I tend to agree with what you are saying, the AFL just need to stamp out this grey area. We know they want the bump gone, it's clear as day what the agenda is here.

However if they come out and remove the grey area, then juniors can start learning from that point.

[Booney]

There is definitely a disconnect between the laws of the game stating a bump is legal yet the interpretations the tribunals especially in incidents where there is no high contact.

With that said i can completely understand why the AFL is as strict as it is. We all know the damage caused by concussion. Then the most irking one for me is when people say 'todays players are soft etc'. We know when it comes to car crashes its the size and speed that does damage, its no different on a football field. 90% of footballers these days are 6ft monsters who run like the wind with barely an inch of fat on them, their not smoking darts at half time etc. Even Houston is 6ft 1, 88kg (apparently) and would have body fat % under 10. His a machine!

Personally i think we are now at a point in the game where the AFL just needs to start cutting the 'grey areas' out. Potentially the only answer is that the bump is illegal and that tackling is the only legal action when 'attacking' a player with the ball. It would take a generation to come to fruition and maybe that would happen naturally anyway. Do juniors practice bumping, cant say ive seen our juniors practicing it?

The players need ribbons hanging off of their shorts so the umpires know when then have been "tackled", if you don't remove the ribbon it can be a free against for contact.

One simple solution which won't eradicate the problem but will soften the blow, make helmets mandatory.

If helmets made a difference they'd be wearing them now.

[tigerpie]

Technically it's a bump, but us old dinosaurs know it as a shirt front.
And that's what we need to stamp out, and effectively we have as it's a very rare occurrence.
We can't ban the bump, just penalise the ones that go wrong.
Can you imagine the umpires trying to figure out free kicks?
Was that a bump, or a nudge. It would be terrible.

[whufc]

Technically it's a bump, but us old dinosaurs know it as a shirt front.
And that's what we need to stamp out, and effectively we have as it's a very rare occurrence.
We can't ban the bump, just penalise the ones that go wrong.
Can you imagine the umpires trying to figure out free kicks?
Was that a bump, or a nudge. It would be terrible.

Yeah that is 100% the difficulty and yeah i don't have the exact answer, probably the reason the AFL havent 'banned' the bump. I think the starting point would be only allowing people with the ball in hands to be tackled eg even if Houston didn't inflict the damage that would still be a free kick because he didn't attempt a tackle.

The other rule i can see the AFL implementing in years to come is ruling out bumping as a shepherd. I'm not sure we are far off from players not being able to be deliberately bumped off the ball.

Don't get me wrong as well, i don't like the path the game is heading, i love the old footy but 100% those days are sadly gone and under no circumstances are they coming back, I'm not getting caught up on something that's not coming back.

My 40 year prediction with the way the world is going is that the game will become a kick, mark, tackle game with no spoiling, no shepherding.

[mickey]

If he could actually walk the walk as well, fair enough, have a bit of a crack and let your footy do the talking. However, this bloke is a below average player at best so he should be concentrating on getting a kick first and if he does happen to snag a few in a showdown, that's the best way to give it to the opposition.

Not sure why he was out doing any media during showdown week. Surely he wasn't the one to be in the media this week.

Nick's came out and defended him saying they (radio hosts), just sit them down and have a chat for 20mins, and things get taken out of context.

FFS Nick's, why was he there in the first place???

That was strange.

He's been on that weekly radio spot all year

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

[Lightning McQueen]

Technically it's a bump, but us old dinosaurs know it as a shirt front.
And that's what we need to stamp out, and effectively we have as it's a very rare occurrence.
We can't ban the bump, just penalise the ones that go wrong.
Can you imagine the umpires trying to figure out free kicks?
Was that a bump, or a nudge. It would be terrible.

Maybe they should ask the player they're about to bump if they are ready for it before they can proceed.

[Zelezny Chucks]

I mean he could have just tackled the bloke with the ball and had a non stressful week?

[mots02]

There is definitely a disconnect between the laws of the game stating a bump is legal yet the interpretations the tribunals especially in incidents where there is no high contact.

With that said i can completely understand why the AFL is as strict as it is. We all know the damage caused by concussion. Then the most irking one for me is when people say 'todays players are soft etc'. We know when it comes to car crashes its the size and speed that does damage, its no different on a football field. 90% of footballers these days are 6ft monsters who run like the wind with barely an inch of fat on them, their not smoking darts at half time etc. Even Houston is 6ft 1, 88kg (apparently) and would have body fat % under 10. His a machine!

Personally i think we are now at a point in the game where the AFL just needs to start cutting the 'grey areas' out. Potentially the only answer is that the bump is illegal and that tackling is the only legal action when 'attacking' a player with the ball. It would take a generation to come to fruition and maybe that would happen naturally anyway. Do juniors practice bumping, cant say ive seen our juniors practicing it?

I played my footy from the late 80's and into the 90's. (when according to the masses, it was peak physical and awesome).

I coached from the mid 90's until about 2010.

I never once coached someone or was I ever coached to bump. Was always taught, if you're close enough to bump - lay a tackle. Back then, not for fear of getting it wrong and getting suspended, but because there's a chance the player just bounces off of you, you will look stupid and the play is ineffective. Why would you bump someone with the ball?

Definitely taught to block, shepherd, run interference on the opposition (who don't have the ball) to give your team mate some extra space to get it or dispose of it etc..... but knowing also that if you knocked the bloke to the ground in doing that, or grabbed / grappled him, the umpire might call it up.

I don't think the bump is dead, I think the shirtfront, (old reportable offence was a charge) is dead.... and so it should be.

[dedja]

I mean he could have just tackled the bloke with the ball and had a non stressful week?

Post of the week.

[mots02]

I mean he could have just tackled the bloke with the ball and had a non stressful week?

Waaaaay more succinct version of what I just wrote.

[Wedgie]

I was taught by my coach (and was then a current league footballer) how to bump in the 70s it was purely hip and shoulder to hip and shoulder and to slightly lower yourself if anything so no/minimal contact was made with the shoulder.
I was never taught to shirtfront.

[dedja]

I mean he could have just tackled the bloke with the ball and had a non stressful week?

Waaaaay more succinct version of what I just wrote.

Yep, not all of us have enough accrued leave.

[Armchair expert]

I blame Mark Keane

[Lightning McQueen]

I mean he could have just tackled the bloke with the ball and had a non stressful week?

As logical as that sounds, Rankine didn't even have control of the ball by the time he got hit. Houston was going to be where the ball drop was but Rankine got there first, it was a split second decision to brace for the impact.

There are two angles that could save him at the appeal IMO although nowadays it's the outcome not the act that determines the penalty.

[mots02]

I blame Mark Keane

For getting belted by a bump from SPP in the pre-season and setting the precedence for the punishments ever since? I agree.

[Armchair expert]

I blame Mark Keane

For getting belted by a bump from SPP in the pre-season and setting the precedence for the punishments ever since? I agree.

Double fisting uncontested in d50

moronic football

[PatowalongaPirate]

Matt Crouch under Police investigation for flipping a Port supporter's cap after the Showdown. According to the news report, the Port supporter was abusing the Crows players as they left the field. The Port supporter made the complaint to the Police.

[mots02]

Matt Crouch under Police investigation for flipping a Port supporter's cap after the Showdown. According to the news report, the Port supporter was abusing the Crows players as they left the field. The Port supporter made the complaint to the Police.

Was it Booney giving the Crows their Review?

[woodublieve12]

Matt Crouch under Police investigation for flipping a Port supporter's cap after the Showdown. According to the news report, the Port supporter was abusing the Crows players as they left the field. The Port supporter made the complaint to the Police.

this may be the dumbest complaint i have seen in some time. Ridiculous that this is even being publicized