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The AFL needs to move with the times

Umpire contact is to be outlawed. (Lachlan Cunningham)
Roar Guru
4th June, 2016
25

The comments by the CEO of the AFL Gillon McLachlan that introducing a red card system to the AFL “would open up a can of worms” was a cop out and shows that the AFL is reluctant to embrace change and to move with the times.

The AFL is the only major code that doesn’t penalise it’s players by sin-binning or sending them off. Sure it would leave the team who had transgressed a player short which would put them at a disadvantage, but what about the team that has lost a player due to a blatant act of thuggery?

This was the case when Andrew Gaff from the West Coast Eagles was knocked out in the Port Adelaide versus West Coast match after an elbow to the head from Tom Jonas.

As a keen fan of all sports, I’m bewildered sometimes at what players are allowed to get away with in the AFL. Shouldn’t the welfare and safety of it’s players be paramount?

By not sending off a player who has committed a dangerous tackle or blatant foul the AFL is virtually giving the green light to teams to take out a player safe in the knowledge that he won’t be sent off.

If Gillon McLachlan and the AFL continue to keep their head in the sand it’s only a matter of time before they could have a potential court case by a player who has been left badly injured.

Until the AFL shows some strong leadership and fortitude by introducing a yellow and red card system to deter blatant acts of violence, the integrity of it’s game will continue to suffer.

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