Tackling the tackling issue, how do we resolve the issue?

[TheOptimum18]

That's the point I am making though, more congestion leads to a greater risk of injury.

Does it though? What's the evidence?

The way I look at it, the AFL has tried very hard to decrease congestion, yet we are talking more and more about injuries and the potential to cause injury.

What we know is that players assume that they need to take a player to ground for the umpire to act, whether that be a free kick or a ball up. What we can loigcally assume is that if umps are quicker with their whistles, there are not many reasons for a player to then take an opposition to ground to force the ump to make a decision.

 

[deck]

The umpire is to blame for the Neale incident. He feigned the handball and should've been pinned for HTB as soon as the tackle was laid.

 

[lordbob]

Start paying HTB more accurately. Dont give players a life time to dispose of the ball. If the ball isnt pinned and no attempt is made, pay a free. Dont let the dropping the ball in the tackle go.

The more players get correctly awarded for their tackles the less aggressive those tackles need to be.

HTB has been a joke for many years now.

 

[Antzzz]

Ward kept doing what he was doing because the umpire wouldn't blow the whistle. If Ward releases him before the umpire blows the whistle then Neale just disposes of the ball to Brisbane's advantage. The umpire should have paid a free kick to Ward long before Neale was taken to the ground.

Spot on !

 

[blinkd]

They were talking about this the other night On The Couch. Pretty much described it as a shit show - again, is it the action or possible harm players are suspended for, and multiple examples of supposed dangerous tackles not being cited.
Bucks was fired up and made some good points.

 

[HairyO]

Start paying HTB more accurately. Dont give players a life time to dispose of the ball. If the ball isnt pinned and no attempt is made, pay a free. Dont let the dropping the ball in the tackle go.

The more players get correctly awarded for their tackles the less aggressive those tackles need to be.

HTB has been a joke for many years now.

But also call it a throw when they throw it one handed after being tackled...

Exactly how are the umpires seeing it handballed when an arm is pinned ?

 

[Coasters7]

Pretty simple fix imo. Make a decision and blow the whistle quicker. If you reward the tackle or call a ball up then the tackling player has less incentive to bring him to ground at all costs.

Issue is the AFL have created this problem themselves by giving their umpires a directive to let it roll as long as possible to make the game more free flowing. It does, but it’s ugly. Pay the rules and you’ll save concussions and also improve the spectacle of the game.

Yet another AFL special of unforeseen consequences popping up from rushed decisions on the fundamentals of the game

 

[Soggy2112]

The Brad Close one is really interesting, I personally don’t think he did anything wrong. Yes the arm was pinned and Dawson got dumped on his head, but I think that was just due to Dawson’s momentum, Close seemed to me to just be holding on to Dawson more than anything. The only way Close could prevent it from happening would be to not pin the arms and allow a handball, that can’t be the expectation can it?

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Is this worthy of a suspension?

 

[The_Todd07]

The Brad Close one is really interesting, I personally don’t think he did anything wrong. Yes the arm was pinned and Dawson got dumped on his head, but I think that was just due to Dawson’s momentum, Close seemed to me to just be holding on to Dawson more than anything. The only way Close could prevent it from happening would be to not pin the arms and allow a handball, that can’t be the expectation can it?

According to the MRO that must be the expectation as Close got 1 week

 

[Milux]

Hear me out ... imagine a sport where players were protected head-to-toe in body armour thereby removing all concussion risk!

I'd call it something like Australian American Football Rules.

View attachment 1664468

They have more concussions in NFL.

Sorry haven't read the thread to see if that's been mentioned.

 

[Milux]

Is this worthy of a suspension?

Not sure what else he is meant to do in that situation aye.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Not sure what else he is meant to do in that situation aye.

Yeah, I'm a bit perplexed. The first contact with the ground was with Walker's arm and his knee (clear at the 0.03 mark of the video) - there was no contact with the head that I could see and Walker was fine. I'm all for penalising the tackles where the player can't protect themselves and there is contact to the head. Not sure this one fits the bill. Seems like to me you can no longer turn a player in a tackle and take them to ground.

 

[Stottzy]

Are players now starting to flop a bit when they get tackled to draw the free? Looking at the Brockman tackle, Walker does put it a bit of mayo on it. It wasn't even a aggressive sling!

 

[Soggy2112]

Is this worthy of a suspension?

It’s very borderline, the slinging action wasn’t necessary, although he did hold him up to protect him a bit. Personally I’d probably say it’s a free kick and a warning, but I understand the AFL leaning towards suspension.

Not sure what else he is meant to do in that situation aye.

He could’ve dropped to his knees as you often see in a chase down tackle, instead of swinging him around. He obviously tried to protect the opponent at the end, but that initial slinging action wasn’t necessary and is dangerous.

 

[Milux]

It’s very borderline, the slinging action wasn’t necessary, although he did hold him up to protect him a bit. Personally I’d probably say it’s a free kick and a warning, but I understand the AFL leaning towards suspension.


He could’ve dropped to his knees as you often see in a chase down tackle, instead of swinging him around. He obviously tried to protect the opponent at the end, but that initial slinging action wasn’t necessary and is dangerous.

He did get into a poor position defensively. Which ultimately led to the swinging action. It just all happens so fast.

 

[JackFlash]

The Brad Close decision reaffirms my belief that the tackling of a player to the ground in any shape or form will be outlawed before Tasmania plays its first AFL game. It's gone beyond the ridiculous now and football actions are seeing players suspended for something they have been taught since childhood, the AFL has no choice but to ban the standing tackle in the future. It's madness. Any tacjkle made from a standing position that sees any player taken to the ground will be outlawed in AFL football within 5 years...

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

The Brad Close decision reaffirms my belief that the tackling of a player to the ground in any shape or form will be outlawed before Tasmania plays its first AFL game. It's gone beyond the ridiculous now and football actions are seeing players suspended for something they have been taught since childhood, the AFL has no choice but to ban the standing tackle in the future. It's madness. Any tacjkle made from a standing position that sees any player taken to the ground will be outlawed in AFL football within 5 years...

Guess it's karma for Will Day as Close has now received the same treatment

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Guess it's karma for Will Day as Close has now received the same treatment

The Day one was vicious compared to this tackle.

 

[SSSSSS]

What a ****ing joke. No idea what Brockman is supposed to do in that situation.

Umps need to either call the whistle earlier and/or reward the tackler more often as a mechanism to protect the player.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Tg

The Day one was vicious compared to this tackle.

There both bullshit decisions. I'm with any Geelong supporter not happy with this btw.

 

[JackFlash]

Guess it's karma for Will Day as Close has now received the same treatment

The tackle as we know it is over....

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

It really is becoming silly. The game needs tackling, it wouldn't be worth watching without it. Football without tackling is like a pizza without mozzarella cheese. Some of the things that players are getting games for these days is pathetic.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

Geelong is challenging the Close outcome.. should be the first time where all supporters are hoping a cats player gets off

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The Brad Close one is really interesting, I personally don’t think he did anything wrong. Yes the arm was pinned and Dawson got dumped on his head, but I think that was just due to Dawson’s momentum, Close seemed to me to just be holding on to Dawson more than anything. The only way Close could prevent it from happening would be to not pin the arms and allow a handball, that can’t be the expectation can it?

I instinctively yelled ‘ball’ from my seat then incoherent gibberish towards the ump for not paying HTB.

Hard to expect fans to adapt to this BS as well.