Whitecross offered a week for having Selwood run into his shoulder

[Michael Scarn]

I can't believe he got a week. Admittedly, looking at those replays it doesn't look that great.

But the fact is that live it looked completely and utterly accidental. He got up and all of a sudden Selwood is running into him

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Not with this one he didn't.

As soon as i saw the replay i thought the Hawk guy might be in trouble.

Can someone put it up?

What the umpire said at the time is irrelevant, as they don't have the benefit of looking at the footage. Same reason they never reverse any incorrect decisions they make.

Its quite clear from the footage that the Hawk guy initiated the high contact with a shoulder....he went off his line.

Selwood was wide open.

It wasn't seriously malicious, but it was there.

He went off his line? GTFO.

He was stationary after trying to stand up from having laid a tackle.

BTW the replay is up on this thread.

 

[red+black]

For those posters saying he was standing still, watch the video and the slow motion replay.

If you play the video in super-super-super-slow-motion, even pause it a couple times, you can clearly see that Whitecross had an absolute eternity to decide what to do. When I slowed it down, he had at least 20 seconds to have a Kit Kat then get back to a pre-meditated potentially-life-threatening shoulder charge. He should hang.

 

[alfy!]

lucky to get away with just 1 week

guys who think this is a joke (i did about 20 minutes ago), watch the footage again

 

[greatwhiteshark]

What a disgrace, if this is what you softies want our game to become then you can have it.

I have never seen a poorer decision in 40 years.

Just start letting women play in the AFL and be done with it.

 

[Yabba]

Funny if Hawthorn challenge, they could call the umpire as a witness… “that was accidental”. Wonder how that would pan out?

I would love to see that. Terrible decision to report him, although I did think that it was a free kick at the time.

 

[jive]

I think it's in the best interests of every club that Whitecross doesn't get suspended for that, all he did was brace himself. This is what happens when you have a system that bases everything purely on technical indicators without taking into account the context of the contact. After tackling Christensen he turns around and has a split second to brace himself for oncoming contact with Selwood, who was coming in hard under a Sam Mitchell tackle. He's actions in this case were reasonable in the context. There are to many variables to account for, for sole responsibility of the blame to land on Whitecross' shoulders. There are clearly mitigating circumstances to this situation, i'm not sure the same can be said for the Beau Waters hit.

This

 

[Subprime]

For those posters saying he was standing still, watch the video and the slow motion replay. Whitecross was moving into his path and dropped the shoulder to create the impact. In saying that though it's football and its to be expected. Free Kick everyday of the week, but no report and no suspension. Whats this game coming to with the MRP. Just have a look at the waters and pavlich incidents!

Whitecross had just landed a tackle, rolled over and was on the way up. I doubt he was close to fully balanced and he had the briefest moment to judge Selwoods position and react.

Selwood was the one who was moving at speed and had Whitecross been slightly lower and to the right there probably would have been a clash of heads.

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

He went off his line? GTFO.

He was stationary after trying to stand up from having laid a tackle.

BTW the replay is up on this thread.

Thanks, saw that.

Perhaps you should have a close look at the footage again. Particularily the side on footage were you can see him get up and move off his line to initiate contact.

If he'd stood still, Selwood would've run straight past him.

 

[ipswichpies]

Funny if Hawthorn challenge, they could call the umpire as a witness… “that was accidental”. Wonder how that would pan out?

That is a very pertinent point mate as the umpire who was right there on the spot has already called it accidental contact,if Hawthorn fight it and lose and the player gets 2 weeks that is completely outrageous.The MRP are looking for the slightest infraction and then going in boots and all,the umpire called correctly at the time and then the MRP undermine the umpire,really all it takes is a little common sense but that is lacking with some people.

 

[Bengraham]

Hahah, your feel for the game is almost non existent, its actually embarrassing.... he had no choice but to brace, he had just picked himself off the turf and had Selwood running towards him at full tilt.

He did have a choice.

And he wasn't stationary and we wasnt standing still, watch the replay.

He moves to his right to make contact, which is fine, leads with his shoulder, that's fine, but he collects the bloke in the head, not fine, when he could have tackled, not fine.

His decision to move into Selwoods path, lead with the shoulder and make head eye contact, played a part in a player being knocked unconscious.

Every player has a right to put their head over the ball without being collected.

Whitecross moves to his right and forward.

To argue against that is futile.

 

[Supercats]

Whitecross had just landed a tackle, rolled over and was on the way up. I doubt he was close to fully balanced and he had the briefest moment to judge Selwoods position and react.

Selwood was the one who was moving at speed and had Whitecross been slightly lower and to the right there probably would have been a clash of heads.

So what are you trying to say??????

 

[alfy!]

That is a very pertinent point mate as the umpire who was right there on the spot has already called it accidental contact

I think the MRP is going to back themselves over a umpire watching it live, in the heat of the moment and from one angle.

 

[Sttew]

What I find amazing is that the umpires were on the scene and didn't see fit to give Selwood a free. Who runs the game, the umpires or MRP?

 

[Bobby P]

Rubbish. He should get off - accidents happen all the time. It was either turn the shoulder of cop it in the face.

 

[parsons nose]

And therein lies the whole problem with the match review panel. They scrutinize impacts like this in slow motion. Slow motion should never be used as atool to judge such decisions as it distorts reaction times of players. THe only way to fairly ajudicate decisions like this is to view the incident in real time.

 

[Subprime]

So what are you trying to say??????

Selwood ran into Whitecross, do you not see that?

 

[Pevers-Legend]

This is totally farcical.

The AFL is ruining the game and is making players accountable for other players actions.

If I was a coach, I would tell him to do it 100 times out of 100.

He braced for impact and blocked his run. Exactly how you would stop a bloke running full pelt at you. Or you could try and tackle from side on, let him break it and be dragged for a gutless/squibbed effort. What is the AFL doing to footy?

I blame the AFL 100% for this sanctimonious protection of the head. All they have done is increase the likelihood of contact to the head by letting players know they can lead with their head/duck and get free kicks. The very thing they are trying to stop is the very thing they are encouraging by rewarding players who initiate head high contact to receive a free-kick.

 

[wce1989]

He did have a choice.

And he wasn't stationary and we wasnt standing still, watch the replay.

He moves to his right to make contact, which is fine, leads with his shoulder, that's fine, but he collects the bloke in the head, not fine, when he could have tackled, not fine.

His decision to move into Selwoods path, lead with the shoulder and make head eye contact, played a part in a player being knocked unconscious.

Every player has a right to put their head over the ball without being collected.

Whitecross moves to his right and forward.

To argue against that is futile.

The only camera angle that makes it look bad is in slow-motion, I'd love to see that one in real time because then you would see that Whitecross has only just got to his feet with no time to avoid getting hit by Selwood's face.

Ideally he would go low and tackle the body but there is just no way he could move that quickly.

 

[alfy!]

Selwood ran into Whitecross, do you not see that?

Whitecross could have avoided contact, do you not see that?

Say a guy is diving down to get the ball, doesn't mean you can have a stationary knee waiting for him on arrival. Players have to protect the head, especially when given options.

 

[QuietB]

Must challenge. Argue that Rioli pushed him into it. Very harsh decision given that Whitecross is not even moving forward.

 

[Xtreme]

If it hasn't already the game has well and truly gone soft now.

 

[Bengraham]

What I find amazing is that the umpires were on the scene and didn't see fit to give Selwood a free. Who runs the game, the umpires or MRP?

He'd already called a free for the hawks for htb.

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

What I find amazing is that the umpires were on the scene and didn't see fit to give Selwood a free. Who runs the game, the umpires or MRP?

I agree. High contact is high contact, whether its accidental or not.

Gibson copped an accidental boot in the eye and went off with the blood rule. To the letter of the law he should get a free kick........high contact.

This is the problem with our rules. To many contradictions and grey areas.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

Whitecross could have avoided contact, do you not see that?

Say a guy is diving down to get the ball, doesn't mean you can have a stationary knee waiting for him on arrival. Players have to protect the head, especially when given options.

No not at all.