Watch the vision in the OP. If you don't think Meek's position when he taps the ball is BEHIND where he was when he knee'd Blicavs in the guts, you're fooling yourself.
He ran under it, knee'd his opponent, then backtracked to tap it. End of.
Umpiring Blicavs blocking in the ruck
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He ran under it, knee'd his opponent, then backtracked to tap it. End of.
Strapping Young Lad
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I don’t have to have studied physics to understand where the ball was coming from and where the drop zone is.
And I don't have to have studied physics to see that a screen shot with the height of the ball in question, and some scribble on it doesn't tell a very reliable story.
Here's a clearer image.
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Brilliant.
I've been saying since the DeKoning incident that the problem is with the Geelong rucks.
Now, this is a generalisation and doesn't happen every time, so don't bother trying to counter by showing examples of them contesting the ruck correctly.
They seem to try and treat the centre bounce as a stoppage contest. They don't run and jump like the other rucks do. They look to put a body on the oppo ruck and then wrestle/grapple on the ground. This blocks the run and jump of the oppo ruck and should be a block most of the time. The other ruck is looking to do their usual run and jump and are quickly met by the Cats ruck, who prevents them from running and jumping and forces them to adjust their approach at the last second.
This top video showing the wide angle is a perfect example of how the tactic is intended.
Cats ruck starts at the edge of the inner circle, while Hawks starts at the far edge of the outer circle.
Cats ruck immediately runs past the drop of the ball, without even looking where the ball is going, to put a body on the Hawks player. Ball is still above the centre line. Hawks player trying to run and jump, with the ball still in front of him, but Cats player has taken 1m of space past the ball drop area.
Hawks player has still managed to move forward to the ball drop area and gets the tap. Cats player has now come back the other way to the centre line.
Then you see the Hawks ruck clearly expecting to get a blocking free, which he should have.
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Starts post with "don't show examples of them NOT doing this, as this is generalisation". Then only shows an example of them doing this.
I guess it's not up for debate?
The AFL changed the rule.
Are you trying to claim he was trying to jump to tap the ball at that point in time? If so he has the worlds biggest leap or he can’t time a jump at all.
His ‘attempted jump’ is so early in fact that Blicavs had enough time to have fallen to the ground in pain before Meek even got his hand on the ball.
If a player player around the ground had jumped that early to take a mark they would have a free against them for interference.
Seems to me that people seem to think that getting between your opponent and the ball is to be considered "blocking".
I interpret the rules such that as long as you block AND get the tap it should be play on.
I don't see how "blocking" (whether as part of good ruck craft, or as an infringement) is deserving of getting kneed.
Carlton and Hawthorn supporters will defend this shit...up until the point other teams decide to get dirty (or unsociable) and their team is on the receiving end.
I interpret the rules such that as long as you block AND get the tap it should be play on.
I don't see how "blocking" (whether as part of good ruck craft, or as an infringement) is deserving of getting kneed.
Carlton and Hawthorn supporters will defend this shit...up until the point other teams decide to get dirty (or unsociable) and their team is on the receiving end.
hawkman
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Wow, you got me. Case closed, you win.
Everyone is now aware that this is a tactic used by the Cats. I only used the one example, because it's in the OP and is the perfect angle/view of this tactic in action. We know there are examples of them contesting the ruck normally, because they don't use this tactic every time. Therefore, showing those examples is moot and doesn't make the actual tactic go away.
I'm not trawling through game footage to find more examples of the same tactic. We all now know that it exists. A few Geelong supporters denying it doesn't change that.
More than that.
It's happened to us 3 games out of 4.
Cox was doing it so much round 1 Dangerfield had to comment on it to the umpires.
WTF are you talking about?
Did you link the wrong tweet?
That clip had no blockig at all.
You've lost the plot mate.
Strapping Young Lad
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Wow, you created a picture of a drop zone slightly wider than mine.
It doesn’t change the fact that Blicavs runs directly at Meek, not looking at the ball, and Meek has to brace with his knee in an attempt to protect his space.
This is a tried and true method that rucks have always used to contest centre bounces. Blicavs and Geelong have a tactic to try to negate the better tap ruckman.
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Meek was atrocious but even the other big guy has been taking Sammy Mitchell kneeing lessons. What are they training down there? The 'ruck craft' argument the dopes from some corners of the media are trying to use in defense is downright laughable.
View attachment LOL.mp4
View attachment LOL.mp4
So it might be a Geelong problem, rather than a League problem?
hawkman
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He runs past the ball blocks his opponent for getting access to the ball. He does by jumping into him it but it is still a block
Everyone also knows kneeing is a dirty tactic used by also-rans in an attempt to try to get close to the reigning champs.
I'm all for usig every advantage you can get, but when you resort to kneeing guys in the guts cos they get in the way it's time to have a good hard look in the mirror.
The AFL didn't send a memo out saying "stop blocking the opposition ruckmans runup", it sent one out saying "stop being dirty kneeing campaigners, we're on to you".
So you shared the wrong tweet.
Try sharing it again.
Hahaha. What's that quote about lies, damn lies and statistics.
Maybe instead of "statistics" it should be "cropping".
Woeful example as that is a bounce issue more than anything.
A low sideways bounce is always going to throw off ruckman's timing
Again, this whole debate disappears overnight if the AFL bin the bounce and say you can't cross the centre line
Wow, you created a picture of a drop zone slightly wider than mine.
It doesn’t change the fact that Blicavs runs directly at Meek, not looking at the ball, and Meek has to brace with his knee in an attempt to protect his space.
This is a tried and true method that rucks have always used to contest centre bounces. Blicavs and Geelong have a tactic to try to negate the better tap ruckman.
What it shows is that Meeks CLEARLY ran under the ball and Blicavs was clearly entitled to attempt to run to where the ball would drop. Meeks could have blocked him legally by taking a position under the ball drop and making contact with the ball, but he chose a "ahem" different option.
Strapping Young Lad
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What it shows is that Meek raises his knee to protect the space that Blicavs has run into while not looking at the ball.
Really in that situation (if it was happening all game) the opposing ruckman should pick one contest jump and knee him in the head
That wouldn’t be against the rules and would stop the close stand pretty quick
It was a shit bounce and Blicavs is allowed to run to where the drop of the ball is going to be. Meek runs underneath it, knees Blitz in the guts, then backpedals to get back to where the ball is going to land.
What's that old proverb? Never break more than one rule at a time, something like that. If you're going to illegally block your opponent out of the ruck contest, don't lead with your knee.
What's that old proverb? Never break more than one rule at a time, something like that. If you're going to illegally block your opponent out of the ruck contest, don't lead with your knee.
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When done deliberately? Sure.
When done as part of a genuine ruck contest, like the majority of them, but the other ruck decides to stay on the ground and block the run/jump? No.
The AFL did it's typical knee jerk reaction to one incident, instead of looking at the how and why. Now that appears to be a regular thing happening to just one team, the AFL might look a bit closer and adjust their stance.
So, you're aware that it's a regular occurrence, and it only seems to be happening to one team, but you can't seem to link a possible causation?
I don't get why there's such a big push back from Cats supporters. If it's a tactic and it's hurting your players, wouldn't you want the team to have a closer look and see if it's really worth the perceived advantage? If the AFL now becomes aware of the potential reasons and has a closer look at Geelong's ruck tactics and tell the umpires that they should be looking out for blocking frees, would you not just want to get it out of your game?
There's a pattern forming and people are now looking closer at it.
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