Adelaide forward Shane McAdam is off to the AFL tribunal after his massive bump on GWS’ Jacob Wehr attracted a rough conduct charge.
McAdam is looking at a minimum three-game ban, his bump ruled as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
The ‘severe impact’ grading separates him from Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett, whose own brutal bump on Western Bulldog Bailey Smith only attracted a ‘high impact’ tag which allowed him to escape with a two-game ban.
Wehr passed a concussion test and returned to the field for the rest of their win against the Crows, although that did not prevent the severity of McAdam’s charge.
Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury earlier urged the AFL to stamp out unnecessary head-high bumps by punishing players based on the action rather than the outcome, after Pickett, McAdam and Sydney’s Lance Franklin all got sanctions in round one.
It comes at a time with extra scrutiny, with concussion a hot topic in professional sport with the AFL facing a class action from former players.
Assessing the Pickett incident in particular, where the Melbourne forward leapt into the air and into the Bulldog’s head, Pendlebury queried whether the ban was only two weeks because Smith had avoided injury.
Wehr and Collins were both assessed for concussions and cleared while Smith got straight to his feet.
“Ours is all outcome-based,” Pendlebury told Triple M radio.
“I think for years there’s been the question around ‘are we going to punish the outcome or the action and where do we live?’ And we still live in the outcome, punishing the outcome. Which rightly or wrongly, I don’t agree with.
“I think it should be the action that gets punished. They’re not football actions.
“(When you launch at someone like Pickett did), your intention’s to hurt. It’s not a football action.
“I’m talking for everyone in the game here, not about those instances but I think it’s something that we need to get rid of out of our game.
“But this chat’s been going on for five or six years … Those non-football actions I think we really need to treat seriously and get out of our game.”
Pendlebury said he would also be in favour of “sin-binning” players like in the NRL.
Franklin’s ban for the Collins bump rules him out of the Swans’ clash with former club Hawthorn.
“Ten years ago, Buddy wouldn’t even get looked at for that but now that’s a week because we’re so keen to protect the head,” Pendlebury said.
“I think we’ve got to take that approach to everything.
“… the MRO, I don’t know if it’s a better system or a better way of looking at things, (need to) make sure we stamp it out and I don’t know if we’re getting it right at the moment.”
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Dunno High contact? Rough play frees can be awarded at any time I think, so maybe that.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
After he'd gone off for 15 mins head check. AFL argument is he was forced from the field. So severe it is.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Tippy toes then.
The Iron Dingo
Roar Rookie
I'm still not sure what the free kick was for. As soon as he regained his breath he was fine. Seemed like a legitimate bump to me - tough but fair. Sometimes people get hurt playing footy without a player necessarily doing anything wrong. Do we give away free kicks/hand out suspensions if someone does a knee in a tackle?
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Wehr played on. How does a severe rating stand with that?
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
It seems you are getting the Pickett and McAdam incidents mixed up! It was Pickett who left the ground
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
It's not tough to leave the ground and hit someone like that. You can give someone a brain rattler even when you don't hit the head. They weren't checking Wehr's wind levels when they took him off. It's also not that bright as he gave away a kick when he had him hemmed on the boundary line. Definitely should have moved the game to the evening due the heat.
The Iron Dingo
Roar Rookie
Absolutely - I was there and the heat was brutal even as a spectator. If there was real concern for player welfare over tv rights they'd have moved the game to the evening - both teams will probably be behind the eight ball for their next match because of fatigue. As for McAdam's hit, sure, rough play, but as far as could see the impact was front on to his chest. I didn't realise it was now against the rules to knock the wind out of someone. If he gets a more severe ban than Franklin or Pickett I would be quietly bemused but not surprised - the AFL is always providing knee-jerk reactions as opposed to actually dealing with issues on their merits.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The Prelate of the Vaticanate has activated the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch which shall blow the Tribunal to tiny peices in your mercy.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
According to Jon Ralphio it's to do with the way the laws/rules are written regarding grading. If they took Pickett to the tribunal, his defence would say that it wasn't bad at all because Smith got up and stayed out there. So it could be down grqded or he might even get off. So they went for the maximum penalty they could get without tribunal. Wehr was forced off the ground, indicating it was more serious. So McAdam's defence can't argue it wasn't severe. Probably there needs to be an overhaul regarding leaving the ground ( or not ) and flattening someone in that manner, as being inherently dangerous. So maybe a starting point of 3 weeks?
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
The new formula: 1. Has offending player won a Brownlow, Coleman or a Premiership? 2. Is the player based in the AFL's main gambling revenue state? If no to both - straight to tribunal.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
McWho ? Ah, i see why this goes to the tribunal and others have not.
Ando7369
Roar Rookie
If the demons Pickett bump wasn’t classified as bad as crows,someone needs get there eyes checked
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Summer doesn't end till tomorrow
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
It should be indeed Rowds. That was a cracking game in terrible conditions. Ridiculously too hot for footy.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Why is it outcome? It should be based on intent! If McAdam gets 3 weeks Pickets should get 4.