Defending the Thug

[Lavender Bushranger]

Ok, in this strange 'new age' world of AFL footy where a player farting headlines SEN talkback for a week, this view may be fairly unpopular. But....

I just read that Webster from St Kilda copped two weeks for whacking Suban!!

If there was ever a case for the umpire to pull a player aside and say 'mate, you know Jack Steven is powerless under the rules to retaliate to your cowardly tactics so unless you cut it out I'm going to let them give you one back', Sunday's game was it and Suban was that player.

I mean seriously, how pathetic is this niggling by these blokes? Knowing there is absolutely no consequences!

I also think the Carlton bloke deserved it (in context) as he was cheating blatantly and getting away with it. If the umpire allows Houli to be held by the jumper illegally every time he goes near the ball and bumped and shoved when he's not near the ball - I don't blame Houli for taking it into his own hands.

And if Callum Mills whacks me in the chest like that I'd give him one back too, and most likely much harder than what Bugg did.

He deserved it.


Now let's be clear - I don't want to see kids in the U12s belting other kids because they see their Heroes do it on the weekends. And I also don't rate violence at all...But...

The rubbish these guys get away with with their cowardly tactics disgusts me.

And the AFL needs to address it.

The way blokes treat Sloan illegally is appalling and embarrassing to watch as a fan of sport.


So I don't share the utter outrage that most do toward guys like Houli and Bugg.

They did the wrong thing and broke the rules and therefore need to be punished - but in my opinion, the disgust and outrage is being directed at the wrong guys.


Discuss...

 

[Membling]

Any player, whether they "retaliating" or not, is an absolute moron to whack any player in the head. Plain and simple. The amount of damage you can do hitting someone in the head, especially when not expecting it, is vastly more dangerous that any body stuff.

The niggle has been going on for donkeys years. If you cannot deal and decide to strike someone in the face, you deserve to cop what you get.

Also... not sure how you can niggle someone that much in an AFL game in the space of about 2-3minutes to warrant a punch the the face.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Any player, whether they "retaliating" or not, is an absolute moron to whack any player in the head. Plain and simple. The amount of damage you can do hitting someone in the head, especially when not expecting it, is vastly more dangerous that any body stuff.

The niggle has been going on for donkeys years. If you cannot deal and decide to strike someone in the face, you deserve to cop what you get.

Also... not sure how you can niggle someone that much in an AFL game in the space of about 2-3minutes to warrant a punch the the face.

Mills whacked Bugg first.

Cowardly act. Pathetic really given that he knows Bugg can do absolutely nothing about it.

The AFL needs to cut it out. It's pathetic.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

To be clear, I'm not saying that players should be allowed to hit guys in retailation - but I am saying that I don't share the level of outrage that they did it that others seem to have, nor the sympathy for the blokes they hit.

 

[patsmith]

I agree that the off-ball niggle should be cracked down on more, but all Mills did was a very light body check. I reckon it would happen a dozen times at a single stoppage alone, and probably a thousand times a game. Ironically, it's usually the lesser skilled players like Bugg who do this, and if everyone responded to it with a left jab there wouldn't be anyone playing for the next month.

 

[patsmith]

Mills whacked Bugg first.

Cowardly act. Pathetic really given that he knows Bugg can do absolutely nothing about it.

The AFL needs to cut it out. It's pathetic.

Mate, that wasn't a whack. It was nothing, definitely not cowardly.

 

[Tjblues]

Jed Lamb put an arm around Houli's waist so he "deserved" to be knocked unconscious and not play the next week.
Callum Mills bumped a known pest and he should've been hit harder.
Take your macho tough guy rubbish somewhere else mate, both blokes (particularly Bugg, still think Houli had no intention of causing harm but well deserving of the whack he copped given the outcome) are clearly in the wrong and if you can't cop a little niggle you are probably lacking the temperament required to be an AFL footballer

 

[Membling]

Mills whacked Bugg first.

Cowardly act. Pathetic really given that he knows Bugg can do absolutely nothing about it.

The AFL needs to cut it out. It's pathetic.

This happens every single game. Around every single stoppage.

I do not like the niggle either but Bugg couldve whacked Mills to the body and wouldve been a non story.

Punches to the head are reacted the way they are because the danger of killing someone.

 

[jakethesnake24]

Webster eye gouged him

 

[Lord Rod]

We need to get the AFL's Diversity Officer to crack down on this thuggery.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Jed Lamb put an arm around Houli's waist so he "deserved" to be knocked unconscious and not play the next week.
Callum Mills bumped a known pest and he should've been hit harder.
Take your macho tough guy rubbish somewhere else mate, both blokes (particularly Bugg, still think Houli had no intention of causing harm but well deserving of the whack he copped given the outcome) are clearly in the wrong and if you can't cop a little niggle you are probably lacking the temperament required to be an AFL footballer

I have a good friend with a very talented son in the U12s, and last game the opposition coach sent two kids out to 'niggle' and 'get into him'!

U12s! This kid is 10.


So clearly whacking guys is not cool - but the other rubbish that these cowards carry on with also flows down to the kids.

The AFL needs to address it.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Jed Lamb put an arm around Houli's waist so he "deserved" to be knocked unconscious and not play the next week.
Callum Mills bumped a known pest and he should've been hit harder.
Take your macho tough guy rubbish somewhere else mate, both blokes (particularly Bugg, still think Houli had no intention of causing harm but well deserving of the whack he copped given the outcome) are clearly in the wrong and if you can't cop a little niggle you are probably lacking the temperament required to be an AFL footballer

Lamb is a cheat, and was cheating when he was hit.

Houli pleaded with the umpire to address it, but they let it go.

Why? Why is this off the ball nonsense considered acceptable?

 

[Steven Toast]

Just don't hit people in the head. It's really not on.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Don't punch players in the head. Pretty simple.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Just don't hit people in the head. It's really not on.

Agree.

But as per the OP, I'm nowhere as outraged by it as many seem to be.

And I certainly don't sympathise with the victims.

 

[Hawk_francais]

You can do a lot on an AFL field without getting suspended. Bugg, Houli and Webster had options.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

You can do a lot on an AFL field without getting suspended. Bugg, Houli and Webster had options.

I don't think there is.

The AFL for some reason, protect and encourage that cowardly off the ball nonsense.

 

[electricfeel]

Victim blaming at its finest.

Mills, Lamb and Suban deserved to be punched in the head or eye gouged for being mildly annoying at worst. Maybe these players should learn to deal with their anger issues rather than resorting to hurting people. In these three examples, the violence was a complete shit act as well. Who the **** punches people in the head? And eye gouging? What the ****.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Victim blaming at its finest.

Mills, Lamb and Suban deserved to be punched in the head or eye gouged for being mildly annoying at worst. Maybe these players should learn to deal with their anger issues rather than resorting to hurting people. In these three examples, the violence was a complete shit act as well. Who the **** punches people in the head? And eye gouging? What the ****.

And there it is folks - the AFL world gone mad surmised in one single post.


Seriously. Victim blaming??

Are we going to use that term in AFL footy now? **** me.

 

[WCE_phil]

Victim blaming at its finest.

Mills, Lamb and Suban deserved to be punched in the head or eye gouged for being mildly annoying at worst. Maybe these players should learn to deal with their anger issues rather than resorting to hurting people. In these three examples, the violence was a complete shit act as well. Who the **** punches people in the head? And eye gouging? What the ****.

I'd suggest suban deserves to be run over. In regards to the other incidents I actually agree with the OP. If you punch someone you deserve whatever you get. I'm surprised a player hasn't taken a retaliatory suspension through the courts. If someone assaults you, you are legally entitled to escalate the situation by 1 level to stop the assault.

 

[The Gong]

I seem to have taken a wrong turn and ended up in Crazytown

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I seem to have taken a wrong turn and ended up in Crazytown

Meet the Mayor, Lavender Bushranger.

 

[Chuckie357]

Any footage of the eye gouge from Webster? Was obviously in the meelee but didn't see it on tv and the dumb as spuds commentators never mentioned it

 

[ManOfClay]

I don't think there is.

The AFL for some reason, protect and encourage that cowardly off the ball nonsense.

So Webster was right to gouge Suban's eyes?

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

So Webster was right to gouge Suban's eyes?

No.

But I aren't feeling any sympathy toward Suban at all.

He'd been illegally striking Steven all game.

So although Webster deserves his punishment as per the rules - I don't feel the slightest bit of sympathy or empathy toward Suban.

And I'm not overly outraged by Webster giving him one.


It's kind of 'meh'. He deserved it. He shouldn't have done it. He'll get two weeks.

Oh well.



What I don't understand is why the AFL embrace the shit that guys like Suban do every week?