Is Aussie Rules no longer a contact sport?
Roar Pro
By Andrew Alekna, 26 Aug 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- AFL, Ben Cousins, Buddy Franklin
Unless you were hiding under a footy-free rock this weekend, you would have had a glimpse of Buddy Franklin’s bump on Ben Cousins. The impact, which was deemed fair by the on field umpires, left Cousins so dazed he reportedly wandered mistakenly to the Hawthorn bench once he had been escorted off the field.
The AFL Match Review panel assessed the incident as “negligent conduct (one point), medium impact (two points) and high contact (two points).”
However, the question remains: why are players being punished for their intensity at the footy?
Franklin’s intent was to make a contest out of the play, not to hurt Cousins. His hit was deemed legal by the on-field umpires and replays shown on the night could not show conclusively that any contact was made with Cousins’ head.
The Match Review panel, however, offered Franklin a two match ban, which could be down graded to a one match ban with an early plea.
The handling of the incident begs the question: “how long will AFL remain a contact sport?”
The bump or hip and shoulder has been a hard part of the game since its beginning and has set AFL apart from almost any other sport. However, if Franklin faces a ban for a regulation hip and shoulder, where the recipient ducked his head into the oncoming impact, how long before the bump is deemed illegal?
One could propose (tongue in cheek, of course) that perhaps tackling should be removed and the players can wear velcro tags, where removal of the tag constitutes holding the ball.
The tribunal’s decision will be a landmark one that may continue the traditional style of play or send the game down a path of more changes, more frustration from fans and players, and ultimately a less exciting game.
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- Explore:
- AFL, Ben Cousins, Buddy Franklin
Ben Somerford said | August 26th 2009 @ 2:27am | Report comment
Well, for one, he obviously hit Cousins in the head, hence Cousins’ concussion. For seconds, it’s all about decision making in these situations and Franklin decided to go for the player not the footy. That’s what the AFL want to stamp out and suspensions like this will make players make different decisions. Buddy should have done the team thing and tackled Cousins. Instead he misses their most important game/s. Yeah you can argue, but it’s a contact sport, radda radda rah, but this is the 21st century and nobody really likes seeing blokes getting knocked out. It’s the way it is and people, and players, have got to get used to it.
Also, I think Hawthorn made a HUGE error challenging the MRP’s decision. There was no grounds for it. It seemed like a desperate decision by the Hawks which wasn’t thought thru.
Kurt said | August 26th 2009 @ 4:21am | Report comment
Went for the player not the footy? He had the bloody footy!
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Yeah but he should have tackled Cousins.
Redb
Kurt said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Why? The bump is a legal tactic! It’s not as if he got him with a Chuck Norris-style round house kick.
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
It’s not legal if there is head high contact – Cousins was knocked out!.
Redb
Kurt said | August 26th 2009 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Says the Essendon supporter.
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 11:59am | Report comment
No I wanted Franklin to play so we dont have to put with 52,000 Hawks members whinging and making excuses about why they missed the finals.
The irony is the Dons could still lose anyway with our injuries – that’s our excuse.
Redb
Michael C said | August 26th 2009 @ 6:20am | Report comment
The main thing I’d reckon the umpires on the spot figured was that Cousins effectively initiated the contact via his changing direction – - Franklin was suddenly run into and he more braced for contact than deliberately ran through Cousins.
However, that said, he (Frankiln) still had the option to tackle Cousins -, and also, even though he’s 6’6″ and Cousins is 5’10″, Franklin does have to come in low to tackle around the waist – - that’s the fair tackle zone – - and at no point does it look like Franklin is preparing to crouch to go low and tackle.
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
Franklin could have tackled – which is contact, he instead chose to shoulder charge with enough impact to Cousin’s head to knock him out. It was a 50:50 call, but i think the protection of head pushed it to a 1 week ban.
Franklin was trying to charge blokes all day rather than get the ball, he got two Tigers fair and square but really lined up Cousins who had the ball.
Redb
Pippinu said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:23am | Report comment
The head has to be protected.
If you look at the clip carefully, the Budster was only able to line up Cuz because while he was showing the ball, it bobbled out a bit from his hand, that took his focus away from what was going on around him, and in that split second, the Budster ran through him.
In the modern game – it only takes a split second.
Pippinu said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
This is the clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3h_E80vXw
Ghost said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment
I think the overall question in the title needs to be asked to new Roar columnist Dipper. Compared to the awesome hard game that he and his team-mates used to play, today’s AFL is a pale insipid affair.
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Just a suburban game what do you care?
Redb
BigAl said | August 26th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Yeah ! pale – insipid . . . Ghost like…
Pippinu said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:41am | Report comment
Dip would understand that the modern game has moved on in 20 years (as it does every 20 years, since it was first played in 1858).
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:48am | Report comment
Dip would also acknowledge the act of taking Bereton out in the opening minutes of the 89 Grand Final whilst great for the glory years has no place in modern football.
The game is about the ball not the man.
Redb
Jack said | August 26th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
If you take a close look at the footage there are a number of points to take note of. Just prior to contact Franklin’s body is slightly lowered and legs bent to anticipate the direction to which Cousins may move, and he remains front on. As impact becomes imminent Franklin braces for the contact by bringing his arms up in front of his chest. There is no turning of the body side on which is what all players know is the natural position to make deliberate and forceful contact, as you use your shoulder not your chest. It must also be remembered that the force involved is the sum total of two players colliding, not just that of Franklin. Further if Franklin had dropped his shoulder and made a legal front on tackle then perhaps Cousins may well have ended up in a much worse state. By the way, I am NOT a Hawthorn or Franklin supporter, but it is getting to the stage where administrators are attempting to manipulate the game in such a way that does not equate to the realities of onfield play. No you cant make front on contact Franklin style, but count the number of times a pack forms and the third and fourth player just barrels into the group. Or the player trying to mark under the fall of the ball who is “legitimately” crashed from behind by the player with knees up in the “act of spoiling”, which is deemed legal. And finally the tackling style where the player has both arms pinned and is rotated and dumped into the turf “legitimately”. If Franklins actions are deemed to be not in the best interests of the game then these areas also warrant attention. Just where is the game headed?
Redb said | August 26th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment
This is why I think its a 50:50 call and could have gone either way, except the AFL is trying to protect the head of a player in contact situations and no-one can deny head contact was made.
Going for mark…. as long as you keep your eye on the ball your Ok, I’ve seen Fevola clean up quite a few blokes including Slattery last year who nearly was nearly knocked out.
Franklin went the man not the ball, its a close call and has certainly divided opinion. If the AFL had done nothing there would have been calls the other way for not protecting the head.
Redb
simonjzw said | August 26th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
It’s disappointing to see Lance Franklin suspended for that. I understand the need to protect the head but there’s a vast difference between the situation where a player is bent over at the waist, head over over the ball and is met head first with the body of another player and the situation where two players meet head on in a more or less upright position and contact is made to the head and body at much the same time. In the first situation spinal injuries are a distinct possibility and we need rules to protect our players. The second situation has been part and parcel of the game since it began. I say relax the rules in the second situation – the umpire should pay a free kick if high contact occurs in a legitmate bumping action, report the bumping player if he raises the elbow or aims at the head deliberately (eg. by jumping into the bump) and only go to the Match Review Panel if the Umpire doesn’t have a clear view of the incident. I just think the AFL has been a little over zealous in trying to elminate all head contact and the current rules actually encourage the player being bumped to put himself in harms way to get maximum protection form the umpire – Joel Selwood is a special at it.
AndyRoo said | August 26th 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
Well I think it’s a great shame he wont be playing it does raise some issues with the bump.
The contact with the head was accidental but the resulting injury to an opponent seems a huge advantage in AFL. With unlimited interchanges (around 100) a match the potential for an injury to greatly effect a teams freshness (everyone on the Tigers teams would have got less time out) means a couple of bumps (much more likely to hurt an opponent than a tackle) could potentially end a game within the first 5 mins.
If it was a final there would be alot of pressure for Cousins to get back into the game.
Greggles said | August 28th 2009 @ 5:57pm | Report comment
I have to agree with andyroo and the writer of this article! is AFL headed in the same pittiful direction as rugby league (as much as i despise that code), where there are so many rules on rediculous things that a srum is completely useless, no one wants to see AFL turn into another version of netball! i remember the add “full body contact no armour”. Stop being so soft! it is something that comes with every sport no matter what! the tribunal got it wrong! it’s not the first time. Stop letting your love of a player rule your decision about the greatness of a game!
Dave said | August 29th 2009 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
He was hip in shouldered in the head and knocked out. If you shoulder charged someone in league in the head you would be in big trouble.
Sonny Bill Williams used to shoulder chargers without hitting people in the head.