Reigning Brownlow Medallist and Geelong midfielder Patrick Dangerfield could have a case to answer with the Match Review Panel during the week.
Dangerfield tackled Carlton’s Matthew Kreuzer on Saturday night, which saw the ruckman hit his head to the ground and subsequently be concussed, taking no further part in the Blues’ 65-point loss to the Cats.
Geelong’s impressive thrashing of the Baby Blues has been overshadowed by this tackle, and by the fact Dangerfield is on the verge of going back to back in the Brownlow. If he does, it will be the first time this has happened since Saints champion Robert Harvey in 1997 and 1998.
Dangerfield told Channel Seven’s AFL Gameday on Sunday morning, “I actually thought he still had the ball, so that’s why I put my hands in the air.”
“I haven’t been cited for anything, I felt it was a fair tackle. There was no umpire’s call at the time, I don’t see an issue with it, but it’s not up to me.”
It looked to be a fair tackle from watching it on Saturday night. But if the MRP does send this case straight to the tribunal, Richmond will have another Brownlow medallist in their ranks in Dustin Martin.
In my eyes, the Match Review Panel and tribunal don’t have the best form this year. Let’s look at the Bachar Houli case from earlier this year, when he knocked out Carlton’s Jed Lamb.
Houli initially got two weeks, which was grossly inadequate. He was given character references by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and controversial TV personality Waleed Aly. This is why the AFL had no choice but to appeal the tribunal’s decision, eventually getting the fair amount which was four weeks out.
The tribunal and MRP need to think laterally with the Dangerfield tackle. There seems to be no forceful or negligent contact in the tackle, nor did Dangerfield actually sling Kreuzer to the ground. At worst, it should have been a push in the back free kick to the big Blue.
If this ‘sling tackle’ does see the Geelong champion get suspended, you might as well not have Brownlow Medal night the Monday before the grand final, just head to Punt Road and give it to Martin.
Dustin Martin was in trouble earlier this season for what looked like a strike on Brisbane’s Nick Robertson, which was dubbed a ‘provoked’ reaction by Tigers coach Damien Hardwick. If you strike a player, you deserve to get suspended, and Martin should already be ineligible to win Charlie in 2017.
We will soon find out the fate of Patty Dangerfield during the week, and if he does have a case to answer to first the MRP, and then eventually the tribunal. Let’s hope Dangerfield has a decent character reference ready if he does front the tribunal mid-week.
Maggie
Guest
Tom is correct, that is wrong. From the AFL website: 'Voting for the Brownlow Medal is conducted by field umpires, immediately after each home-and-away match, with three votes awarded for the player they believed to have been the best on the ground, two votes for the second best player and one vote for the third best player on the day, in their opinion.' http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/brownlow/about-the-brownlow The 'fairest' component doesn't come from the umpires' votes but from the exclusion at the end of the final count of any player who has been suspended. (Like others commenting here, I agree the way that currently operates is too severe.)
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Maybe you should stop making major predictions for a little while ;) Nah, in all seriousness, it would be absurd if they didn't challenge it.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Damn. They'll appeal it. He'll get off. @#@$ me!
David C
Guest
Well you got that wrong.
David C
Guest
They have to appeal surely.
anon
Roar Pro
The facts are he grabbed both of Kreuzer's arms in a double chicken wing tackle and drove him aggressively and recklessly head first into the turf, concussing Kreuzer and forcing him out of the remainder of the match. If a jumper punch to the chin is worthy of a suspension (it is in my opinion), then planting someone head first into the turf with a double chicken wing tackle is worthy of at least one week.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Umm, spoke too soon?
Milo
Roar Rookie
One week. Surely he will appeal.
truetigerfan
Guest
You're all over it Cat. Absolutely no way should this result in a suspension! Though I await clarification from the all knowing Peter the Squib.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
update
Cat
Roar Guru
So you admit you had no idea what you were talking about and now have taken a totally different tact. Good on finally admitting how little you know about footy. Long overdue admission from you Anon. As for seriousness, you need look no further than Mumford and Burgoyne's tackles from this year to see properly laid tackles can still result in concussions and not end in suspensions. Whether the ball came out or not is irrelevant. That is only a free kick worthy infraction. There is no table of offenses for 'holding onto a tackle too long'. The actual debate will be whether there was any actual 'driving force' or was it a reasonable tackle laid on a 2 meter tall 105kg player. Not exactly any easy for a smaller player to tackle. Some force was always going to have to be exerted.
anon
Roar Pro
Yeah, pinning both harms and driving someone head first into the ground when they had long ago disposed of the ball is even worse. The AFL is either serious about protecting the head or not.
Razzar
Guest
Agree Doc, Dangerfields tackle had no duty of care. It should deemed as rough play, and medium to high impact when head hits the ground. Also could be constrewed as reckless. Concussion to Krueser, prevented from playing out game. Two weeks reduced to one week on guilty plea.
Cat
Roar Guru
Obviously Anon doesn't even know what a chicken wing tackle is. Hint: it does not involve both arms being pinned.
Maggie
Guest
There is no way this is going to the Tribunal first up like the Bouli case (as suggested by the author). If the MRP conclude it is a reportable offence the impact at the most would be high, and more likely medium (depending on the medical advice) and the penalty would be set by the MRP grading table. The key issue that might lead the MRP to determine it is a reportable offence is that Kreuzer was vulnerable because Dangerfield had Kreuzer’s arms pinned. In any case the AFL needs to reconsider tackling techniques which include pinning the arms (to stop ball release) and bringing the player to ground in a manner which risks the head hitting the ground.
dontknowmuchaboutfootball
Guest
Nah, the best suggestion I've seen (in one of the discussions on this site, incidentally) is the idea of distinguishing between football-related offences and non-football-related offences. Anything off the ball, hits and strikes of all stripes are non-football; accidental head clashes or similar during bumps, tackles, etc. are football related. Differentiate penalties on that basis, and have non-football offences excluding the player from Brownlow contention. There'll still be grey area — trips, late spoils — where "intent" will have to inferred (better yet, judgement on how reasonable/realistic the chance of affecting play in a legitimate way).
Cat
Roar Guru
In any case the ball coming out or not is irrelevant to the context of the case. It's a non-factor as far as suspend or not goes. It's just noise some people bang on about when they don't actually pay attention to the way the MRP works nor the actual rules.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Waitey didn't see the ball come out either and it didn't help him.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Many players have been suspended for accidentally clocking someone in the head with a hip and shoulder. So much so that it's rare occurrence. I don't see how accidentally concussing a bloke after you've deliberately pinned his arms is any different.
anon
Roar Pro
I think that’s two weeks for Dangerfield, maybe he can get it down to one. But he has to be suspended for that. If a relatively innocuous jumper punch is one week now… Then a chicken wing tackle where you slam someone’s head in to the turf and take them out of the game with concussion is surely deserving of at least a week. It would be a bad look for the AFL to treat a jumper punch more harshly than a chicken wing tackle that took someone out of the game with a concussion.