Melbourne captain Max Gawn has forecasted a major rule change following the latest controversial bump on the weekend.
GWS Giants captain Toby Greene was hit with a one-match ban for rough conduct after collecting Jordan Boyd high with a mid-air bump.
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Greene led at the ball and jumped for a mark but turned his body just before a collision and made contact with the head of Boyd, who was going back with the flight of the ball.
Boyd got up immediately to take a free kick and played out the match, but Greene’s actions were graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
The Giants will challenge the ban at the tribunal on Tuesday night in a bid to free their inspirational leader for Thursday night’s massive clash against Brisbane.
Gawn said the incident “split the change room”.
“This is the new sling tackle of 2012 … going for a mark and getting someone. Every year there’s a new tribunal decision where you think ‘wow that’s out of the game now’,” he said on Triple M.
“It feels like it’s going for a mark and defending yourself a little bit. You’re better off trying to spoil so you’re not as tucked in with your shoulder.”
Gawn then speculated that the onus could be put on the player going back with the flight and could see a rule change in the future.
“That’s a can of worms and I reckon in 10 years could be something that is a rule, going back with the flight,” he said.
“Toby’s copped it for the guy going back with the flight.”
Giants coach Adam Kingsley dismissed the Greene incident post-match.
“There won’t be anything in that,” Kingsley said.
“He’s allowed to contest the ball, isn’t he? He’s allowed to launch at the ball?”
Essendon regain Peter Wright this week from his four-week ban for a mid-air bump — considered careless conduct, severe impact and high contact — that knocked out Sydney’s Harry Cunningham.
Bombers coach Brad Scott said his coaching staff would continue to seek clarity as to how players were meant to attack aerial contests.
“I couldn’t help but notice Adam Kingsley’s comment — you’re allowed to look at the ball and launch the ball and try and mark the ball, and Pete’s just nodding his head saying, ‘Yes, I agree with that’,” Scott said on Monday.
“Clearly the AFL … determine a penalty based on outcome, not on action. That’s abundantly clear now to everyone.”
“… (The media) can find so many examples where there are collisions with players with their eyes on the ball.
“But if one player gets concussed, the AFL holds someone liable for it in almost all cases now.
“Then it’s basically put back to the club to challenge it if they disagree, and the system’s not set up for that.
“You don’t go to the tribunal with an ‘innocent till proven guilty’, you go to the tribunal with ‘you’re guilty and you have to prove your innocence’.”
The Giants will also contest Jesse Hogan’s one-match ban at the tribunal for his off-the-ball strike on Carlton defender Lewis Young that was graded intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.
The spearhead tops the Coleman Medal leaderboard with 21 goals from six games.
The hearings come a week after Lions forward Charlie Cameron escaped a one-match suspension due to “exceptional and compelling circumstances” owing to his clean record across 207 games.
West Coast will challenge the one-match rough conduct ban handed to key defender Tom Barrass.
Barrass was cited for a dangerous tackle on Fremantle’s Michael Walters, with the incident considered careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
– With AAP