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There's no debate about Sam Reid's bump on Nat Fyfe

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Roar Guru
28th March, 2021
11

Another bump. Another concussion. Another debate.

But there really is no debate. It’s a stone-wall multiple-week suspension.

It’s clear. It’s plain. Contact to the head is not allowed. Players must exercise a duty of care towards their opponents.

The Giants’ Sam Reid exercised a total lack of care for his opponent. He actively failed to make any attempt whatsoever to avoid contact with Nat Fyfe, who was nowhere near the ball, but rather kept moving towards Fyfe and tensed up and engaged in a bump that struck Nat Fyfe in the head.

Granted, it wasn’t like Patrick Dangerfield’s bump where Dangerfield was smarting from being run down seconds earlier and went full bore at the player, but it was a solid hit that was, again, completely and utterly unnecessary.

Some commentators argue that Reid was bracing for contact. Of course he knew it was coming – he initiated it!

Others argue for Nat Fyfe’s rights in the situation. Fyfe was defence-less and got taken out by a player who had chosen to make contact.

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There is no excuse for Reid’s action and no legitimate foundation for his defence. Reid had plenty of time to step sideways to avoid making contact with Fyfe. He failed to do so.

He actively chose to hold his line, firm up his body and bump Fyfe. The fact that he wasn’t looking at Fyfe makes absolutely no difference.

He knew Fyfe was coming, he let him come, he kept going himself without altering his line, he got ready for the collision and he took Fyfe out.

That’s not a duty of care being exercised. That’s no care whatsoever.

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Any argument about protecting himself is utterly groundless as well, as Dangerfield’s was, because he – like Dangerfield – went out of his way to make the contact. If you don’t go at another defenceless player, you don’t need to protect yourself.

The rules are simple. You cannot make contact with the head. Reid should have evaded Fyfe and avoided the contact.

There was zero need for contact and zero need to put Fyfe at risk. Anything less than a multiple-week suspension will throw the whole contact-to-the-head issue right back up in the air.

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