The AFL’s controversial new rule for when players don’t keep their feet is certainly going to be scrutinised by everyone.
But sliding may be accidental most of the time, and the penalised player is usually are first for the footy in their endeavours to win the all important contested ball and are penalised.
As Adelaide captain Nathan Van Berlo said on Tuesday, the new rule outlawing contact below the knees changes how they were taught to play the game when growing up.
All of us, no matter what level we played or tried to, were instructed to get your head over the footy and get in first and there were times when you had to slide in and would make contact with an opposition player and unintentionally cause injury.
Most of the time players do it right. It’s dangerous but they put their head down and backside up to take possession ahead of an opponent.
If they take that players feet, either colliding or upending then, isn’t that unfortunately just part of the game and what makes Australian Rules so engrossing and the hard and tough contact sport that it is?
The main reason for the implementation of the new rule is to stop players being clumsy, sliding in with their knees.
Sydney Swans champion Adam Goodes has been a chief culprit in the past and received a one match suspension last year for it.
The main incident occured when Lindsay Thomas of North Melbourne slid in with his eyes fairly and squarely on the ball but made contact with the lower leg of young Swan, Gary Rohan, resulting Rohan suffering a severely broken leg.
Sliding in such a fashion could lead to contact to the head if players are reckless in losing their feet and sliding in knees first.
But how long does it take a player to learn to go in head first for the ball and keep their feet and virtually stand up straight? I would have thought that would take extraordinary skill.
By getting rid of sliding in and not keeping your feet at a contest, the AFL think they will be eliminating contact below the knee and horror injuries like the way Rohan suffered last year.
But medical experts and players involved in this debate over the past 24 hours can’t rule out there being an increase in head clashes and ultimately concussions.
As they are concentrating on the ball, until as mentioned earlier, players find an almost foreign way to win first possession.
The AFL acted on that during the week by allowing the designated substitute in a game, no matter what stage of the match it is, be allowed to come on and replace a player taken off after being involved in a head clash or collision so he can undertake a concussion test and if cleared he can return to the field and replace the sub.
That to me seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul! This new rule is going to take time to be ingrained into the players and will no doubt frustrate coaches and supporters.
But again going back to Nathan Van Berlo’s stance on the matter, players in this competition are told about how important winning the contested footy is. If it’s their turn to go, ultimately they must, otherwise incur the wrath.
Clubs pride themselves on that and most answers given by players when asked ‘how do you win today’ is that the major factor in winning games is contested football.
There’s a very good chance this new controversial rule could make players think and not act on instinct when going to win possession under pressure to give their side an advantage.
What’s that old saying? He who hesitates is lost.
I understand the AFL is instructing the rules committee to make sure the players are protected and to reduce serious injuries like these broken legs in several places.
We certainly hate to see that, but every footballer who steps out to represent his club know the hazards. I just think this new law is going to be extremely confusing.
Friday night could be the opening of a a pretty big Pandora’s Box!
A final thought. Essendon, after their off-field dramas over the past six weeks, will attract more interest than usual in their season opener against Adelaide.
How will they perform after the disruptions with the ASADA investigations, which have also affected Cronulla in the NRL?
The Sharks have had one gutsy win and a gallant loss so far from the opening two rounds, so if the Bombers can start like that and be competitive – especially this week against the Crows away from home at AAMI Stadium – and push them all the way even if they don’t win, that would probably be a good result for James Hird’s men.
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