Wright learns fate as massive hit on Swan sent directly to Tribunal

Liam Baker has been playing AFL since 2018 & is quite a skillful player. Some coaching to be more disciplined when attacking the ball would be a good idea. Some would say it's basic commonsense. BTW, Macca's position on a lot of issues are also a long way from commonsense!!!

Yes but the player concerned never marks like that! So perhaps some coaching is required there. However that is a long way from Macca’s position

I think many thought it was late enough self protection macca. As the rule goes hes negligent

It looked very much like the "make 'em earn it" attitude of 30-40 years ago to me

AV easy to comment from arm chair as many experts (that played the game ) who reviewed it have said that the pace was very quick out there and they both would have got injured had he not braced. No intent but some negligence under strict interpretation . The ban is excessive and many agree it is. Lets not all turn in to arm chair rule assesses when we arent even out there in that frenetic pace. In general for negligence for me they could make a statement with a one or two match ban to be more mindful of the brace where possible. Its easy to freeze frame this on monitor, If your out there its frenetic split second decision making and you should go for the ball. Accidents happen and Wright would be a little mindful going forward but now the contest will be very soft as a result of this. Many ex players and pundits are furious by this and many on here don’t play the game they just freeze frame things from the monitors crowing

Well I'm of the view in real time if your out there theres a good argument to say he went for ball then braced as they would both be injured otherwise. Negligent yes, intent no for me. Many are furious with a 4 match ban its excessive and many have said do we want a non contact sport . That said Im up for protecting concussions but accidents will happen as will some split second negligence . Lets not over inflate this . Wright has been banned too long for me. Its a joke on term. A few matches would help them all get the message now we will have players standing back from the contest or hesitating. Turning in to a flower power , arm chair rule assessing sport

look it was negligent by wright but he went in to to try and win ball not take the player out on normal speed replay. I have to laugh when I think of the 80s mtches i went to with player belting each other before the siren even commenced compared to this today . I mean this is designed to pevent concussions nowadays I get it but wright didnt have intent to concuss the bloke he was negligent and has copped an excessive ban really for mine.

I watched it live and immediately thought I was back in the 90’s. Wright might be a nice bloke but he decided to make a physical statement and elected to bump from a long wayout

Mecca don’t watch freeze frame watch real time , no malice or intent just will get a holiday due to current climate and interpretation of rules which there was some negligence with , Wright is a good guy who wouldn’t deliberately hurt another player your overblowing this

JAMES H HAS is the correct assessment , watch in real time totally agree

Careless. Not accidental

I’ve looked at the incident several times and frame by frame. Wright is well and truly second to the ball which is about to drop into Cunningham’s arms. In the moment before the collision Wright has not only completely taken his eyes from the ball, he is entirely focused on Cunningham, has left the ground, his elbow and forearm are crocked and raised for impact with Cunningham’s head. His knee and leg are also raised to collect his body. Wright’s incredibly lucky the action is deemed careless. A careless action would be an arm extended in an attempted late spoil, or tucked into his body for self protection. The only possible outcome of his body positioning is to collect an opponent’s head. I’d have graded it deliberate. I appreciate it’s a split second between giving up on possessing the ball and deciding what to do next instead. But Wright had time enough to realise he was never going to mark the ball and made a dangerous alternative choice.

There is no way anyone can argue that Wright doesn't see Cunningham in his peripheral vision while running towards that ball. None. All he had to do was commit to not trying to take a mark, and putting his right arm out - perfect for a guy who is as big as he is, and who appears to naturally jump off his left peg - to knock/tap the ball towards 2 teammates who are BOTH the next closest players. He does pinch hit in the ruck, after all. That is a reasonable alternative to what he did, and one that was well within his mental ability 'in the heat of the moment'. Players make that exact decision multiple times per game. He didn't. Agree it was not deliberate. Probably influenced by his coach's instructions for the week. Simply clumsy. Call it careless.

u must've never made contact with an opponent in a game.

Fair dinkum. Truth bomb coming. In the last few years the AFL, Rugby and many other sports have discovered duty of care, although it's been around since Donoghue v Stevenson (1932). Yet so many dinosaurs just don't get it. Concussion in contact sports is brutal. It destroys careers, lives, families. There are 2 current class actions, and there will probably be more individual actions. The AFL is going to pay many millions, and possibly billions, in the next 10 years for not doing enough to protect the head. Peter Wright may be a good bloke and had no intention to harm, but what he did, what Brad Scott defended, and what many commentators are calling "part of the game" was negligent, brutal and unsustainable for ANY sport. 100kg plus jumping, bracing and hitting any unsuspecting player in the head with your shoulder, hip, elbow or any other hard part of your body at that speed and force is simply not on. Stop it! Mourn it if you want, but if you want this game to exist in anything like it's current format these actions have to stop. Soon there will be sendoff rules, lengthy suspensions for players and coaches etc etc. The damage is simply too great, the risk too high, the cost to individuals and the sport too much. Actions like Peter's, whatever his intention, however good a person he is, are not sustainable or defensible any more. They are acts of violence, whether intentional or not, and the monetary cost will force all sports to outlaw them totally. And so they should.

With his arm crossed across his body and leading with his shoulder

:laughing: Yeah everyone knows the best way to take a chest mark if to put your arm tight across your chest and point your shoulder towards the ball

I get the same read on it too. This sort of thing would not even raise an eyebrow a few years ago.

He's no good over head prefers to try to chestmark.

Lol here is an image of Wright taking off on his launch foot. Eyes on the ball. forearms in front preparing for a chest mark. If Cunningham hadn't been there he was in a perfect position to take it. https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432214634_10163822328272846_6888950266869099236_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=1fKmoGlErQ8AX8uFyY4&_nc_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=00_AfBLCt8lhrRFCsIoBYlNF7IuA1zhvFuilAMmX1eSeZK2Gw&oe=6605613A