Umpiring Blicavs blocking in the ruck

[lordbob]

If Meek was focused on the ball he wasn't focusing very hard considering it went right over his head. Even if there was no rule about the knees, the umpire could have still paid a block against Meek when you look where the ball ended up. After making contact with Blicavs he had to backtrack just to get anywhere near the ball.
If Meek got distracted by Blicavs rushing towards him and that's why he stuck out his knee then it's a reaction he'll have to get out of his game cos it's now an illegal move.

That's the life of a ruckman, sometimes you'll get a guy jumping all over you and you're also allowed to try to do that to them too, but you can't just stand there and knee a guy who's standing on the ground in the ribs and pretend it's a a defensive move

Are you blind? This is over meeks head?

Also blicavs isnt "standing" he is charging at meek with eyes only for meek.

 

[kidkenobi]

Are you blind? This is over meeks head?

Also blicavs isnt "standing" he is charging at meek with eyes only for meek.

Considering it was bounced in the middle of the red circle it's obvious which direction the ball is going. If you want to do a screenshot of where the ball is when Meek first touches it you can see how far to the right of screen it actually went and how it was Meek who actually blocked Blicavs from getting to the ball.

And I meant that Blicavs is standing on the ground as opposed to jumping in the air. I'm not sure what you're even arguing, becauase what Meek did is against the rules.

 

[lordbob]

Considering it was bounced in the middle of the red circle it's obvious which direction the ball is going. If you want to do a screenshot of where the ball is when Meek first touches it you can see how far to the right of screen it actually went and how it was Meek who actually blocked Blicavs from getting to the ball.

And I meant that Blicavs is standing on the ground as opposed to jumping in the air. I'm not sure what you're even arguing, becauase what Meek did is against the rules.

You said "if meek was focused on the ball" well you can see him in that screenshot looking exactly at the ball. How better can you focus on the ball than by looking directly at it?

Blicavs isnt standing he is running. There is a difference. its not standing or jumping as the only 2 possible options.

Meek braces for impact to protect himself from blicavs who is running at him. Meek is looking at the ball and sees it coming to him. He braces for contact and tries to protect himself from blicavs.

Meek took all of 1 step before seeing the ball coming his way. He didnt charge at blicavs, he takes 1 step, holds his ground and protects himself from the incoming contact.

If blicavs were a better ruckman he may very well have jumped into meek with a knee to get higher up to tap the ball.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I see Blicavs running under the ball to put a block on Meek while Meek has eyes for the ball. Don't see why Blicavs deserves protection here

 

[chopflop]

Scott trying to exploit the ruck rules and neutralise contests. AFL should just call it a throw up in the middle and let shorties like blicavs run and jump!

 

[kidkenobi]

You said "if meek was focused on the ball" well you can see him in that screenshot looking exactly at the ball. How better can you focus on the ball than by looking directly at it?

Blicavs isnt standing he is running. There is a difference. its not standing or jumping as the only 2 possible options.

Meek braces for impact to protect himself from blicavs who is running at him. Meek is looking at the ball and sees it coming to him. He braces for contact and tries to protect himself from blicavs.

Meek took all of 1 step before seeing the ball coming his way. He didnt charge at blicavs, he takes 1 step, holds his ground and protects himself from the incoming contact.

If he was so focused on the ball why didn't he start moving towards where the ball was going? He was more concerned with making contact with Blicavs which is fine, because establishing your position is important, but you can't do it by jamming your knee into someone's ribs when you're both on the ground.

Even if he is doing it for protection, so what? He needs to find a better way to protect himself, or if he really wants to put a knee into Blicavs he can jump at the ball and do it in the air.

If blicavs were a better ruckman he may very well have jumped into meek with a knee to get higher up to tap the ball.

Yeah maybe he would have if he could jump 8 metres into the air considering that's how high the ball was when Meek kneed him in the ribs.

 

[kidkenobi]

I see Blicavs running under the ball to put a block on Meek while Meek has eyes for the ball. Don't see why Blicavs deserves protection here

It only looks like that because Meek was the one who ran under the ball, he had to backtrack after he kneed Blicavs just to get anywhere near it. You can't just knee a guy in the ribs because he's coming towards you, this is not the UFC.

 

[Warhorse]

Meek is the one who has run under the ball. Blicavs is moving towards where the ball is landing.

 

[PenAndPaper]

Meek is the one who has run under the ball. Blicavs is moving towards where the ball is landing.

Interesting that Stanley runs completely under the ball here with eyes on Meek and doesn't even touch the ball...

 

[Antzzz]

Blicavs tries to block Meeks jump ....he doesn't have eyes on the ball ...runs straight at Meek ....puts himself inline to cop the knee .......and low and behold he cops a knee .....that's my take

 

[Warhorse]

Interesting that Stanley runs completely under the ball here with eyes on Meek and doesn't even touch the ball...

No relevance

Blicavs tries to bloke Meeks jump ....he doesn't have eyes on the ball ...runs straight at Meek ....puts himself inline to cop the knee .......and low and behold he cops a knee .....that's my take

The ball lands behind meek. Meek runs past the ball to knee blicavs.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

You're making this very complicated when it's really not. You can't use your knee to attack/block/whatever the other guy when you're standing on the ground

You also can't run at the other ruck, not looking at the ball, in an effort to block and not contest. There was no effort from MB to ruck here.

Both in the wrong. This is not an either/or scenario.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

People need to get over one side being right and the other wrong here.


Clearly MB had no eyes for the ball, wasn't going to jump, just wanted to impede.

Clearly Meek, even in these circumstances, shouldn't have kneed him.

 

[Antzzz]

No relevance

The ball lands behind meek. Meek runs past the ball to knee blicavs.

Yes because Blicavs is going straight at him with no eyes for the ball

 

[Warhorse]

Yes because Blicavs is going straight at him with no eyes for the ball

Only one player is moving towards the drop of the ball and it's not Meek

 

[boncer34]

Tell me you know nothing about rucking without telling me.

You did that with the OP

 

[PenAndPaper]

Only one player is moving towards the drop of the ball and it's not Meek

Only one player is looking at the ball and its not Blicavs.

 

[The_Todd07]

Yes because Blicavs is going straight at him with no eyes for the ball

Meek is between Blicavs and where the ball will land
What on earth is Blicavs supposed to do if not try to go straight towards the ball

 

[Antzzz]

People need to get over one side being right and the other wrong here.


Clearly MB had no eyes for the ball, wasn't going to jump, just wanted to impede.

Clearly Meek, even in these circumstances, shouldn't have kneed him.

Only one player is moving towards the drop of the ball and it's not Meek

From what I see Blicavs had no intention to contest the ball ...he's sole objective was to block Meets ....I looks like a tactic the cats have worked on .....we will agree to disagree ....but I will, say I don't like the look of the knee being used

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

Meek is between Blicavs and where the ball will land
What on earth is Blicavs supposed to do if not try to go straight towards the ball

Jump, and time his jump.

 

[Antzzz]

Meek is between Blicavs and where the ball will land
What on earth is Blicavs supposed to do if not try to go straight towards the ball

He wasn't watching the ball ....if he'd gone for the ball instead of going at Meeks ...it wouldn't have happened

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

From what I see Blicavs had no intention to contest the ball ...he's sole objective was to block Meets ....I looks like a tactic the cats have worked on .....we will agree to disagree ....but I will, say I don't like the look of the knee being used

Hopefully it doesn't happen again. Umpires normally do a good job of pinging rucks that just block. They didn't do a good job of paying a free against Meek here though. You still have to pay it, because the knee over rides Blicavs intent to block.

 

[Generalissimo]

What would even be the point of just blocking the opposition ruckman and not contesting? Are we seriously expected to believe Blicavs is just trying to impede Meek and not contest the footy? Who do you all think he's blocking for? Let's get real here.

You're allowed to jostle around and put yourself in a better position than your opponent. What you can't do is knee a bloke in the solar plexus because you think he's in your way.

 

[The_Todd07]

He wasn't watching the ball ....if he'd gone for the ball instead of going at Meeks ...it wouldn't have happened

Watch it again
When the ball is bounced Blicavs quickly glances up to see which way the ball has gone. Then finds where Meek is because he knows the ball went towards Meek and then at the point of contact he is looking for the ball again

If the AFL is serious about stopping this kind of thing, they just have to get rid of the unnecessary bounce and prohibit ruckmen crossing the line

 

[Philhawk]

‘What’s the point?’ Cox weighs in on ruck controversy as footy world left divided

Mason Cox

46

Mason Cox

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saying what a lot of people are thinking here.