AFL Finals

[alondouek]

Brenden didn't get my Joel Selwood joke on facebook, finals are ruined

[keltingmeith]

I don't know about either players past other than the medical history in that article, but it all seems pretty legit and fair to me. I'm pretty happy for the guy, missing out on playing in your finals really sucks (even if this means the Bloods will have to push a little harder, but we'll still come out )

Brenden didn't get my Joel Selwood joke on facebook, finals are ruined

I mean, what's the point in even having finals if your friends don't get your jokes?!

[Aaron]

News for any Crows supporters out there:

Your coach has just been sacked.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-17/sanderson

[Russ]

I think anyone with an issue on the ruling has probably never played a contact sport in their life. Not even saying this as a North supporter, it just wasn't a suspendable (or even a reportable) offence.

Definitely gained a bit of respect for Joel Selwood! Not one of my favourite players but he sure as hell is tonight, lol!

He should have been suspended according to the AFL's new fangled policy on head high contact. You can say what you want about whether it 'should' be an offense in a contact sport, but literally everything he did (off the ball, head high, jump into the opponent) is something they're apparently stamping out.

[Reus]

Definitely gained a bit of respect for Joel Selwood! Not one of my favourite players but he sure as hell is tonight, lol!

He's always been a legend!

[brenden]

He should have been suspended according to the AFL's new fangled policy on head high contact. You can say what you want about whether it 'should' be an offense in a contact sport, but literally everything he did (off the ball, head high, jump into the opponent) is something they're apparently stamping out.

It wasn't a head high bump, it was a fair bump and their heads touched. I don't even think it's suspendable under the new rule which specify 'forceful contact' for rough conduct.

[Phy124]

It was off the ball, negligent and avoidable. He made head high conduct after jumping off the ground and was thus deserving (IMO) of the 1 week suspension handed down to him under the current interpretation of the rules.

With this being said, I don't entirely mind that his challenge was successful and think that the penalties for similar incidents need to be looked at. Fines rather than suspensions might be a more suitable deterrent for these incidents.

[Aaron]

I think the MRP overall needs a major overhaul. Some of the charges that get laid are ridiculous.

[brenden]

It was off the ball, negligent and avoidable. He made head high conduct after jumping off the ground and was thus deserving (IMO) of the 1 week suspension handed down to him under the current interpretation of the rules.

With this being said, I don't entirely mind that his challenge was successful and think that the penalties for similar incidents need to be looked at. Fines rather than suspensions might be a more suitable deterrent for these incidents.

It was off the ball but part of the play. You could do that in netball and cop a slap on the wrist. In no way was the play illegitimate. Sure it was avoidable if he wanted to let Selwood get the ball again and tear things up as per usual. Breaking someone's wrist in a tackle is avoidable if you choose not to tackle them. It just wasn't forceful in the sense of reportable offences (even factoring in the head contact/rules). I've literally been hit harder in U14s.


Edit: "I've literally been hit harder in U14s"-- probably explains some things.

Just wanted to note: I'm definitely for protecting heads more than they have been in the past, I'm in no way complaining that the game has "gone soft" like some do.

[~V]

I still think the MRP is being more lenient come finals. Completely agree with Phy124, anyway, doesn't matter now, Selwood is and always a legend. 

[brenden]

I still think the MRP is being more lenient come finals. Completely agree with Phy124, anyway, doesn't matter now, Selwood is and always a legend.

Yeah it's pretty hard to see how Tom Hawkins doesn't even get points for his jumper punch. Freo player's spoil looked really sketchy to me, too.

[Rod]

Even though I support collingwood,

I'm going for port. I hate the hawks and Sydney, wouldn't mind a north melbourne v port adelaide final.

Hawks v sydney would be absolutely epic though, franklin v his old club in a grand final!!

[Phy124]

It was off the ball but part of the play. You could do that in netball and cop a slap on the wrist. In no way was the play illegitimate. Sure it was avoidable if he wanted to let Selwood get the ball again and tear things up as per usual. Breaking someone's wrist in a tackle is avoidable if you choose not to tackle them. It just wasn't forceful in the sense of reportable offences (even factoring in the head contact/rules). I've literally been hit harder in U14s.


Edit: "I've literally been hit harder in U14s"-- probably explains some things.

Just wanted to note: I'm definitely for protecting heads more than they have been in the past, I'm in no way complaining that the game has "gone soft" like some do.

I'm not saying he shouldn't have blocked his path, but rather if someone is stupid enough to jump off the ground and negligently make contact with someones head then they should reap the consequences of their actions. The lack of forceful contact was the reason why I said I didn't entirely mind that his challenge was successful, but I really think it could've gone either way.

As someone who is frequently taken out in off ball incidents, I am well aware that this is part of the game and do not mind it. However, I think that when contact is made to the head it is a different story, irregardless of what body part made contact with the head of the other person. (mentioned this because I've seen many people argue that the charge shouldn't have been laid because it was an accidental head clash)

I still think the MRP is being more lenient come finals. Completely agree with Phy124, anyway, doesn't matter now, Selwood is and always a legend. 

Yeah I think it's definitely the case and has been for a long time. The backlash from fans come finals time is much worse than during the home and away season and I'd be extremely surprised if this didn't weigh on sanctioning decisions.

I think the MRP needs to review and more clearly outline the penalties players will face for these incidents regarding on ball/off ball, deliberate/incidental, low force/high force etc. because as it is they are probably too strict.

tl;dr:
-If you jump off the ground and make head high contact - cop it
-MRP get your shit together
 

[brenden]

I'm not saying he shouldn't have blocked his path, but rather if someone is stupid enough to jump off the ground and negligently make contact with someones head then they should reap the consequences of their actions. The lack of forceful contact was the reason why I said I didn't entirely mind that his challenge was successful, but I really think it could've gone either way.

As someone who is frequently taken out in off ball incidents, I am well aware that this is part of the game and do not mind it. However, I think that when contact is made to the head it is a different story, irregardless of what body part made contact with the head of the other person. (mentioned this because I've seen many people argue that the charge shouldn't have been laid because it was an accidental head clash)
Yeah I think it's definitely the case and has been for a long time. The backlash from fans come finals time is much worse than during the home and away season and I'd be extremely surprised if this didn't weigh on sanctioning decisions.

I think the MRP needs to review and more clearly outline the penalties players will face for these incidents regarding on ball/off ball, deliberate/incidental, low force/high force etc. because as it is they are probably too strict.

tl;dr:
-If you jump off the ground and make head high contact - cop it
-MRP get your shit together

Yeah fair enough. Probably shouldn't have jumped off the ground but I sort of feel that has more to do with his size than carelessness. A tick against though, for sure. And yeah I totally agree, a head clash is still getting hit in the head. Eg, Nat Fyfe, even though it probably didn't "deserve" a suspension, that was a massive head clash.

Even without the supports going nuts, the MRP themselves probably can't help but be more lenient come finals time (inappropriately of course). I just can't see the Freo guy's spoil getting let off during the home and away season. The only issue I've got with the MRP is the consistency. (Adam Goodes, Lance Franklin, compare Nat Fyfe??) - whatever the rule is, I don't care, so long as everyone can look at an incident and reasonably expect to know what the MRP are going to do about it.


Edit: Can't even focus because of the footy later.

[SKGUN11]

North Melbourne will beat Sydney they said. Gonna be a close game they said.