The report of Toby Greene in Friday night’s Bulldogs-Giants clash is a perfect opportunity for the AFL’s maligned Match Review Panel to prove it has one of two things many believe it lacks – common sense, or a spine.
Early in the third quarter of Greater Western Sydney’s blowout of the Dogs, oft-suspended Greene got his name taken by the umpires yet again on a rough conduct charge against Luke Dahlhaus.
Greene lead up the ball to take a handball receive and, in the process, his right foot stuck out – striking in the oncoming Dahlhaus squarely in the jaw.
Bulldogs players and fans in the vicinity were immediately incensed.
As Dahlhaus walked off the field with blood dripping from his mouth, his teammates remonstrated with the pesky Giant for what they believed to be a deliberate kick to the face.
For the record, I don’t believe Greene did it on purpose at all.
AFL players are some of the most talented athletes on Earth, but the idea that someone can intentionally run, jump, take the ball above their head, karate kick an oncoming person in the face, spin around and land on their feet seems, at best, farfetched.
But in any case, the MRP has one of the biggest decisions it’s had to make all year.
While many will be angered by the verdict the MRP delivers, failure to impose a substantial suspension – in the event of a guilty verdict – would be even more disheartening, regardless of whether you personally believe Greene is indeed guilty.
This is very much the MRP equivalent of a tackle half the fans believe is high and half are calling for holding the ball – and they must not call a ball-up.
To backtrack to my personal view, I believe Greene deserves his reputation as a pest, and in many ways only has himself to blame for this incident being blown up to the extent it has.
To his credit, he let his football do the talking from that point forwards and, despite having numerous opportunities to stick it the home fans throughout the game, was humble in his celebrations all evening.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
As is more commonly mused during score reviews, you can trick yourself to believing almost anything with slow-motion replays. Admittedly, the slowmo of this particular incident does look quite damning.
But slow motion has a habit of making a lot of indiscretions appear more malicious than they are – particularly high bumps and late spoils.
Players can only think and act in real time, and when looking at the incident in real time, there doesn’t appear to be a lot in it.
If a Bulldogs player had been the one taking the ball – perhaps even a lesser-known Giant – we’d be seeing this incident on the blooper reel instead.
As such, this presents itself as a golden opportunity for the MRP that suspended Jack Ziebell for going too hard at the ball and cited Drew Petrie for clawing at the face of man choking him that they are capable of not overanalysing a situation.
This is a golden opportunity for the MRP to prove they have some semblance of common sense.
But, if you’re in the guilty camp and believe Greene knew exactly what he was doing – you’d be seeing this as a chance for the MRP to prove they have a backbone.
The player reported for an act resembling a kick was North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas, in a 2015 Elimination Final win over Richmond.
This incident was a lot more clear cut. After Grimes wrapped up Thomas and won himself a free kick for holding the ball, the Tiger defender gave his opponent a shove while they were both on the ground to let him know.
Thomas, on his back, responded by striking Grimes in the chest with his foot.
A 50-metre penalty was paid, there was a bit of push and shove, but Grimes was largely unaffected.
Unfortunately, despite the act clearly being deliberate, Thomas too was left largely unaffected by his trip to the tribunal.
A mere $1000 fine was all the incident amounted to.
Carelessly or intentionally kicking another person is, in almost any sport, one of the most serious infractions a player can commit.
In lower level Aussie rules, as per law 20.2, kicking another player results in the reported player being issued a red card and being ordered to leave the field for the remainder of the match.
There are only four other specific incidences that see a red card issued and they all relate to the physical harm, intimidation or abuse of an umpire.
Striking is not a red card offence under the laws of the game.
While the AFL competition itself does not use yellow or red cards, nor does it send players off, the laws of the game still clearly elevate the seriousness of this reportable offence above almost all others.
For a player to have been issued a mere fine for such an offence is absurd, and if the MRP is seriously of the opinion that Greene intended to kick Dahlhaus, a suspension in the double digits – given his bad record – is the only acceptable sentence.
Unfortunately, the MRP and AFL itself seem to dole out punishments designed more to assuage public outcry than address the incident itself.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Essendon’s ASADA scandal deserved the condemnation it received, but the AFL’s decision to remove them from the 2013 finals was clearly in response to public disdain rather than a suitable punishment for an incident that didn’t even occur in the same season.
Ultimately, it ended lending some credence to the claim the players had already been through enough when the season-long bans eventually came about.
On other hand, uproar over Sydney’s trade manoeuvres saw them banned from the practice altogether despite them having committed no form of wrongdoing whatsoever.
In that context, my gut feel – and I suspect this is shared – is that Greene will be charged, but offered a suspension of two or three weeks.
An outcome that would satisfy those in the guilty camp, but also offer a penalty safe enough to not rock the boat too much.
Despite my belief that Greene is innocent, to me this would be an even bigger travesty than a ten-week ban.
If any player carelessly or intentionally kicks another player in the face, the MRP must come down on them with all their might.
But whether the MRP possess the common sense to let him off, or the backbone to rub such acts out of the game for good, is something nobody can say they’re certain of.
J.T. Delacroix
Guest
Joe B : What utter BS!!
Philby
Guest
No analysis, no reasoning, no logical line of thinking. Mere opinion from the both of you. Way to have an adult discussion.
Abletts Shoe laces
Guest
Nothing in it at all - AFL is becoming a laughing stock with such trivial reporting's as this- Have to agree somewhat with DH TV Ellery below that jumper punching is not a rule that should be in the AFL either - mmm it is becoming too soft one feels
TV TED ELLERY
Guest
gees AFL is a softies sport even the fans are getting upset - oh 2 weeks as he broke x's fingernail/ruined his hair/smudged his makeup - lets see an AFL player take the ball up against the All Blacks/NRL side- mmm be running the other way- softies game
TV TED ELLERY
Guest
So when you jump in the air like he did your legs go out as he's did - pure human movement/motion activity- All Black players would do it easy and catch it too unlike most AFL players- AFL is a soft game- no one else plays it around the world - you ever wonder why?? - Gaelic Football is tougher. What other sport do you have people who cannot kick straight but are still rewarded with a point for missing?? Never mind the Union -as it's a truly international game and even in the Olympics which your AFL will never be- either an International or an Olympic sport ever. Softies play it and watch it - that is a fact.
Karma Miranda
Guest
Because if it was a marking contest, the incident wouldn't have happened. If you're taking a mark in mid-air, you can't be tackled by an Opponent not in the contest. Greene knows the pressure is coming, and that because the possession is from a handball he can be tackled. As he's in mid-air he has three options: tap the ball on or otherwise not take the possession, take the tackle and attempt to dispose of the ball legally; or as both arms are involved in taking possession of the ball, fend off the opposing Player with an extended foot to the face. There is simply no other explanation for Greene's foot to be where it was, no matter which way his eyes were pointing. One of those three options has no place in Football.
Gordon Smith
Guest
I am glad I am not on the tribunal because you will be condemned either way and I can see both arguments. He is so compelling to watch though. The way he struts and runs all day and has that F U difiance about him and sticks his chin out reminds me of - dare I say it - Ben Cousins.
DonsR
Guest
Tv ted ellery - it his eyes were only focussed on the ball why did he raise his leg?? Just ask yourself that for a second. I would love to see an all black go back with the flight and take a mark. Takes true courage to do that versus just charging head on at an opposition player! I'm not disputing that rugby is a tough game but afl is certainly not soft. Good to see rugby faring so well in Australia - it really gets people through the gates!
Razzar
Guest
The vision clearly shows Greene had eyes only for the ball.. Dalhuas enters collision at a 40degree angle, Green was already in the air taking a hand pass early. On balance this is purely accidental contact. The angles just observed on the evening news demonstrate Greene was watching ball, all the way, as it came into his hands.
Penster
Roar Guru
I think it was deliberate and they'll treat it as a kick. Jackie Chan maneuver.
TV TED ELLERY
Guest
How soft are AFL players- anyone can see it was an accident as his eyes were on the ball all the time - have to laugh that they even brought in a rule of no jumper punching as well. No wonder AFL is not an international game- a game for softies- hard to see any AFL player wanting to be in a ruck or maul against the All Blacks for instance - worried they might break a finger nail.
Birdman
Guest
should have ridden the tackle IMHO 1 week unless we're happy for more of these types of incidents
Philby
Guest
I was surprised to hear the TV commentators give Greene the all-clear on this one. The premise for his supposed innocence is that he had his 'eyes on the ball'. This statement implies either of two things; one, that football players do not have the peripheral vision that humans generally have. In fact, if he did not have this peripheral vision, if he was not aware that a player was bearing down on him, would he have stuck out a leg at all? Clearly, he wouldn't have. Two, if he did see this player coming towards him, he had 'every right to defend himself'. I agree that a player has a right to defend himself, but that is only if he takes a defensive stance, which in this instance would be to brace himself, and most likely, to draw his knee up to his chest so that any impact from the oncoming player would hit him on the shin area. The ability of a player to defend himself does not, IMHO, include the right to defend by outright attack on the other player's head and face, in the way Greene did. Other football commentators have defended Greene by drawing a comparison between players leaping for marks in packs who make incidental contact with other players heads, shoulders, etc. This comparison is erroneous, as the marking player's knees, etc are placed where they are as part of the leap that is part of the marking action. By contrast, Greene's (near karate) kick was extraneous to his action of jumping for the ball. It was also excessive and caused harm to a player's head and face. I'd give him 2 weeks..
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Yep, all fair points.
Danny
Guest
This is a very good question. Both involve protection against the oncoming player. One could argue that since it was a handball (tackle allowed) as opposed to a mark (no tackle allowed), protection is more not less legitimate. I'm not saying it was a justified action but I'm struggling to see how its worse because it didn't happen in a marking contest.
Lroy
Guest
''you see players doing this a LOT… it is a horrible look. Unusual to see it when receiving a handball though.'' A lot of people have argued that line, ergo, happens all the time, nothing to see here, so lets all just move along. I am curious about all these other incidents... cos I don't remember seeing them, could you please post a link to all these other ''sprigs in the face'' that I missed. Thanks
Mattyb
Guest
The MRP could consider the knock unduly rough play,sort of a catch all type charge for things like this. I don't really have any idea what they'll do but a flying kick to the face isn't good.
I ate pies
Guest
Of course he saw him
joe b
Guest
you see players doing this a LOT... it is a horrible look. Unusual to see it when receiving a handball though.
joe b
Guest
Agree. I have seen many players 'protect their space' in this manner on many occasions, and have thought it as quite a gutless act, and how could it be allowed. For this reason, I don't see how Greene could be punished beyond a careless knock to the head... and given his history may equate to a week or two. Given that Richmond's Cotchin got away with an intentional strike to Fremantle's Lachie Neale, I can't help but think the Melbourne based MRP will quite happily throw the book at a Sydney based GWS player... how is that for a Saturday morning conspiracy!