When will commentators make players accountable for "lowering the centre of a gravity"

[Pusswah]

Grabbing the arm is just ****ed. **** that uppercut bullshit.

 

[Randomizor]

Can't the rule just be changed so that it's only a free if the tackle started high?

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I think this is one rule umps need a bit more power to use discretion.

Head high tackles are frees every day of the week.

Ducking, bending into tackles and sliding tackles up around the neck should be play on.

Dangerous tackles should be penalised, yes. Tackles sliding up wont lead to concussion, it's only those direct tackles that impact the head are dangerous.

 

[master bate]

Doesn't really change the point. It has been happening for ages - players and supporters have been complaining about it, but what has been done to try to stamp it out? It is a blight on the game.


Of course they have some influence on it, depending on how far you're willing to take it. If they didn't tackle at all we wouldn't have a problem, would we?

It's fairly simple the way I see it. If you contribute to the high contact yourself you shouldn't get a free kick, whether that's ducking, dropping the knees, shrugging or whatever. If fans can call this instantly when it happens, why can't umpires?

The game is probably easier to umpire from TV than it is on the field. We get more perspective on screen and can probably pick up which player has the ball and read their intentions.

The first thing I'd do is give the umpires a hit list of the worst offenders - Christensen, Selwood, Thomas, Shuey, Mathieson, McLean etc - and instruct the umps to monitor them and be really cautious in paying high free kicks to these blokes. Most clubs have them and whilst that might be unfair to those players they've earnt it. I'm not sure how well it would work given the umps have so many decisions to watch for throughout a game but I'd give it a go.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Hewitt's just as bad.

He certainly gets low, but it's different since he's already low at the ball and he just drives forward with the ball and gets the high tackle. L Thomas on the other hand is a staging campaigner that throws himself about like he's at a chook raffle or a cheap theatre, feigning about, kicking players, sliding in breaking legs, spitting etc. throws himself backwards into a tackle, drags arms over his shoulder, lifts his arm to get a tackle, holds on to opponents and then feigns holding the man, shit like that.

He's a pretty ****ing bad footballer.

 

[Tas]

it should be a free hit if the player ducks or pulls the arm up in the tackle

The AFL would want to increase their professional indemnity insurance for concussion lawsuits if they give the okay for free head hits.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Just officiate high tackles like they do in union

If the tackle starts legal but slips up and the tackle ends up high it's usually play on. Only if there is a secondary action by the tackler do they call it high

A bit easier to officiate in rugby as the main purpose of the tackle in Union is to bring your opponent to ground so the players naturally go lower, whereas Aussie rules is to stop the opponent from getting a legal disposal away

I still think there should be more leeway in Aussie rules as long as the tackle starts legal and the tackler doesn't take any secondary action for the tackle to end up high

 

[hilly]

He certainly gets low, but it's different since he's already low at the ball and he just drives forward with the ball and gets the high tackle. L Thomas on the other hand is a staging campaigner that throws himself about like he's at a chook raffle or a cheap theatre, feigning about, kicking players, sliding in breaking legs, spitting etc. throws himself backwards into a tackle, drags arms over his shoulder, lifts his arm to get a tackle, holds on to opponents and then feigns holding the man, shit like that.

He's a pretty ******* bad footballer.

Please advise when he has spat at a player or what his punishment for breaking Rohan's leg was.

Your post sounded a tad racist.

 

[Play by Numbers]

Players are getting clever about how they exploit the lack of discretion around high tackles and in the back. For example, I often see the person picking up the ball drop a knee and lean in preparation for contact.

The other is when they know someone is behind them and they fall forward as they scoop the ball, or worse grab a tacklers arm and drag them forward.

As for the commentators, asking them to hold players to account is a bad idea. Derm would swoon if he sees Mitchell do it, calling him clever, but if it was Thomas he complains.

 

[The Swans Blog]

what his punishment for breaking Rohan's leg was.

An entirely new rule, created out of his desire to play like it's the Premier League from 10 years ago, breaking legs and snapping ankles.

Can't find the article about spitting, but it's happened before, then of course there's been the staging and the yearly coat hanger.

 

[Chadwiko]

Geelong and West Coast fans should stay out of this thread, considering it was your teams and the famous 'quack quack' reputations that you gained in the 2007-2008 seasons that started this whole trend.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Geelong and West Coast fans should stay out of this thread, considering it was your teams and the famous 'quack quack' reputations that you gained in the 2007-2008 seasons that started this whole trend.

**** me the Selwood's out in force, completely forgot about Joel Selwood starting with a bang.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Your post sounded a tad racist.

Which part sounded racist? Calling him out as a staging campaigner or calling him a shit footballer?

 

[Tas]

Just officiate high tackles like they do in union

If the tackle starts legal but slips up and the tackle ends up high it's usually play on. Only if there is a secondary action by the tackler do they call it high

A bit easier to officiate in rugby as the main purpose of the tackle in Union is to bring your opponent to ground so the players naturally go lower, whereas Aussie rules is to stop the opponent from getting a legal disposal away

I still think there should be more leeway in Aussie rules as long as the tackle starts legal and the tackler doesn't take any secondary action for the tackle to end up high

The issue remains, most of the tackles on LT start high, LT just doesn't stand up after picking the ball up allowing for tackles to slide down around the shoulders.

There has been this evolution in tackling that you want to take the player around the shoulders, this increases the chance that the player wont be able to dispose of the football correctly. If players wanted to tackle players around the waist there wouldn't be many if any illegal tackles.

There are certain players you just have to be careful about your technique, like Christensen who throws his arms up in tackles to force the tackle to slide up high. If you tackle him a lot lower he doesn't have the strength to lift a tackle that is much lower down.

 

[mick06]

Time to seriously make them earn it. Just absolutley give it to players that do it, if its a free kick then make it worth itsome ear ringing and stars should make them think twice.
One of the most frustrating things for players and fans in the game atm. And the call of oh well if u cant beat them join them? Oh what an ugly game we would have then

 

[garlic munchers]

Geelong and West Coast fans should stay out of this thread, considering it was your teams and the famous 'quack quack' reputations that you gained in the 2007-2008 seasons that started this whole trend.

We may have started it, but Thomas has taken it to new discrediting high (or rather a low).

 

[mick06]

Geelong and West Coast fans should stay out of this thread, considering it was your teams and the famous 'quack quack' reputations that you gained in the 2007-2008 seasons that started this whole trend.

Why? I think you will find most west coast supporters are disgusted by what shuey hams and selwood did.

 

[Blueboys11]

He certainly gets low, but it's different since he's already low at the ball and he just drives forward with the ball and gets the high tackle. L Thomas on the other hand is a staging campaigner that throws himself about like he's at a chook raffle or a cheap theatre, feigning about, kicking players, sliding in breaking legs, spitting etc. throws himself backwards into a tackle, drags arms over his shoulder, lifts his arm to get a tackle, holds on to opponents and then feigns holding the man, shit like that.

He's a pretty ******* bad footballer.

Hewett is just as bad as Thomas. Just does it slightly differently.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Hewett is just as bad as Thomas. Just does it slightly differently.

I said that he does it differently before. Hewitt has a crazy low centre of gravity and has the ball at knee height, so it's literally impossible to tackle him. He knows it and the players know it, but they can't let him get easy and free disposal. He's tried to draw it a few times (even got pinged for holding once) but the umps aren't paying them all, about 50%.

Difference is that he doesn't drop the knees, or tackle arms with his neck, or holds on to opponents and drag their arms across his neck, or lift his arm, he just leads low with the head when he's got the ball. It's the way footy was played 10 years ago before all the changes. Just go back and watch how Jude Bolton used to play.

 

[G Mus]

Needs to be picked up in an MRP, too hard for gameday umpires to officiate, fine them for bad/obvious ones and ban after 3 or 4 - it will quickly stop

 

[Harris 10]

Please advise when he has spat at a player or what his punishment for breaking Rohan's leg was.

Your post sounded a tad racist.

The constant attacks on Thomas is all about the colour of his skin.

So many players will do the same thing in every game this week but Thomas will be the only one attacked from the media.

 

[kelman]

It astounds me that anybody can think that an otherwise fine tackle that is made into a high one by the player with the ball is the fault of the tackler.

Joel Selwood started doing this shit in 2009. 7 years later and what have we done to stop it?

Maybe we should just ban players evading any tackle. Pretty unfair on the tackler that they have to adjust.

 

[kelman]

It was a disgrace. There was no attempt to make the play, to avoid the tackle. His intention was to stop play, he actively sought out the arm and held it above his shoulder.

He did not. The tackle was already high. You can't be for Selwood and against Lindsay - they are doing the same thing, putting them self in a position where if the tackler does not adjust, it will be a free.

 

[Seb78]

The constant attacks on Thomas is all about the colour of his skin.

No its not

 

[Blueboys11]

I said that he does it differently before. Hewitt has a crazy low centre of gravity and has the ball at knee height, so it's literally impossible to tackle him. He knows it and the players know it, but they can't let him get easy and free disposal. He's tried to draw it a few times (even got pinged for holding once) but the umps aren't paying them all, about 50%.

Difference is that he doesn't drop the knees, or tackle arms with his neck, or holds on to opponents and drag their arms across his neck, or lift his arm, he just leads low with the head when he's got the ball. It's the way footy was played 10 years ago before all the changes. Just go back and watch how Jude Bolton used to play.

He is still though approaching a contest with the pure aim of drawing a high free kick rather than trying to dispose of the ball. His methods may differ slightly (doesn't do the full uppercut with the arm), but the intention is the same.

All types of free kicks in this vein need to be stamped out