Steven May - 1 week

[owen87]

Personally, I'm glad we have evolved and realise that protecting players from more high contact is the right thing to do and worth some neanderthals whinging about how the game has gone SAWFT.

The amusing thing is; so many of these guys talking about how soft players are today, would last about 2 minutes in the modern game.

There's far more physical contact these days than ever before, at higher speeds. There's just less thuggery and 'illegal' contact now.

Running around punching other blokes in the head, leading with elbows, or knocking blokes flat because they "left themselves exposed" doesn't make you tough, and it doesn't belong in professional sport.

Debate the merits of whether May was a. late, b. made high contact, and/or c. was a low or medium impact. Don't try to argue that because some thug in country football would have knocked Berry out, that it somehow justifies anything.

FWIW: I think May looked more like he made contact to the sternum than the head, which is ******* painful, but Berry never appeared to lose consciousness to me, it looked more like he had the wind knocked out of him and they didn't bother bringing him back on. Maybe the top of the shoulder made some incidental contact to the chin, maybe not. I can see Melbourne arguing low impact to get it downgraded, or not high contact pending Brisbane's medical report.

 

[Rob]

Lol. Stupid is what stupid does. How many times has May been suspended for high bumps. Had the option to not bump. Chose to bump gets player high and spooks from the result.

When does a player ever not have the option to bump then? The option is normally to tackle - which clearly May didn't have in this case, and Berry remained part of the play and within 5 metres.
If you accept that it was reasonable that Berry had to be prevented from getting the ball back, then May had no other option.

 

[willydave]

I think you wanted to say that if you were me you'd spend more time worrying about the likes of Dalhaus and Rohan? And I will worry about that if they don't deliver. But this thread isn't about Geelong's woes; its about May copping a 1 week suspension. Nice attempt at deflection

It's not deflection - yours was a comment on Melbourne's recruiting decisions, not about whether he should cop a week. I thought we could all drift off topic.

I am genuinely interested in your opinion as a Cats supporter as to wtf they are doing down there at the cattery. I've watched a lot of Geelong, I went to a lot of games back in the golden era with Stevie J's cousin, and yes I did back him for the Norm Smith at $28.

This crap at the moment isn't Geelong. It's North Melbourne strategy, and I don't get it. Dalhaus is washed up, Rohan is lucky to play 5 games a year and GAJ is well past it. You'll probably lose T Kelly at the end of the year, it's just looking pretty grim down there.

 

[willydave]

Big difference is Shuey puts his head on the line with ball in hand.

Oliver gets blown over by a gust wind and minimal contact whilst trying to get players rubbed out.

One action takes some courage the other action lacks courage.

Considering how much bigger, taller and stronger Oliver is its surprising he takes the soft option.

Hmm... where to with this one?

There's a reason why Oliver is rated highly, he has the best hands in the league. He's one touch and he puts himself in the heat of the contest, and he stands up and takes the tackle, he doesn't try to slide in under the tackler's arm.

The dive was a terrible look, he's done it maybe two or three times in his three year career. Shuey has wrenched his neck back literally hundreds of times for free kicks. Surely you can objectively see that?!

Both great players. Both different players. If you want to try to call out the bigger cheat, well I'll leave that to others more objective.

 

[kranky al]

They've really been unofficially trying to kill the bump for a while now.

I remember Francis getting a warning for one of the most fair bumps you'll ever see on O'Meara last year with no high contact whatsoever. But it hardly seems to matter these days.

Right now if I was a coach I'd be telling my players that unless you're under 180cm its best to put away the bump. The only player on our team that I'm confident when they do it is Tippa, simply because he's so damn short, that he's unlikely to infringe.

*teams start drafting 5’5” x 5’5” cubes

 

[SloppyJoe]

I didn't see anything wrong with the circumstances of the bump - it was in play. So it comes down to where Berry was hit and how hard.

I am not convinced the initial contact from May was with the chin/throat. I'm not sayin it wasn't - I just can't tell.

It looks as though there was incidental high contact with the chin/throat moving down towards May's shoulder as a consequence of the bump (which you can go for these days I believe), but it was relatively minor.

Almost all of the force was to the chest and its pretty clear he had the wind knocked out of him.

I think if you bump someone and there is minor incidental high contact that doesn't really have any effect, with the major effect coming from the 'fair' part of the bump, you shouldn't get a week.

 

[Dez!]

It's laughable that is graded as medium impact let alone medium impact to the head, Berry's arms and chest cop the brunt of the bump.

 

[Crusty Demon]

I actually love this guy Oliver as a footballer, he is just fantastic to watch. Will be an A-grader if he isnt already.
But that night I reckon even he would want to take that back. Made a dead set dick of himself. Soft as butter considering I reckon he is an absolute bull in the coalface.

Agreed. But people keep forgetting how young the kid still is. I think he was literally 18 when this happened. He's learned his lesson and I haven't seen him do it since. But agreed this is a horrible look and something he would deeply regret. I think he has since elevated his game to an elite level due to him focusing on his footy and not getting caught up in these antics. That comes with maturity, although I have seen a number of mature stars doing similar things, maybe not to this level though.

 

[dzussy]

Agreed. But people keep forgetting how young the kid still is. I think he was literally 18 when this happened. He's learned his lesson and I haven't seen him do it since. But agreed this is a horrible look and something he would deeply regret. I think he has since elevated his game to an elite level due to him focusing on his footy and not getting caught up in these antics. That comes with maturity, although I have seen a number of mature stars doing similar things, maybe not to this level though.

I always took his age into account, we have all been there in some way or another.
Oliver redeemed himself after when Dane Swan was giving him sh!t on twitter, young Oliver replied by saying if Swan wasn't a footballer he'd be the bloke putting stickers on apples. Just a classic response by the boy Great recovery.

 

[Tap Tap Tapperoo]

Some posters being a bit rough on berry imo. But in saying that, it is surely low contact and just a fine.

 

[Scythe94]

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I didn't see anything wrong with the circumstances of the bump - it was in play. So it comes down to where Berry was hit and how hard.

I am not convinced the initial contact from May was with the chin/throat. I'm not sayin it wasn't - I just can't tell.

It looks as though there was incidental high contact with the chin/throat moving down towards May's shoulder as a consequence of the bump (which you can go for these days I believe), but it was relatively minor.

Almost all of the force was to the chest and its pretty clear he had the wind knocked out of him.

I think if you bump someone and there is minor incidental high contact that doesn't really have any effect, with the major effect coming from the 'fair' part of the bump, you shouldn't get a week.

Good post, I have an issue that the players awareness is not taken into account. Berry was seriously in a day dream and had not an ounce of awareness about him. It is as much Berry's fault for being bumped as it was May's. Anyone who had any awareness would of braced for contact or at least try and avoid it. He was like a deer in headlights.

 

[Brolga]

If NicNat has to size up the height and weight of an opponent before tackling them, May should have been able to see that the player had disposed of the ball and taken several steps further out of the action. He should not have been anticipating impact, and if so it should only have been a block or shepherd.

It was late and high. Just late earns maybe a fine but more likely no action. But he hit him flush on the chin and therefore gets a week. If it was an Eagle doing that I would be frustrated but expecting the outcome.

It will be an interesting precedent for the coming year if they overturn this decision.

 

[Bluelegs]

No dice.

 

[Scythe94]

Upheld, predictably. Can’t have Christian getting two suspensions overturned before the season even begins.

 

[Blues_Man]

Good decision

 

[Harris Specter]

Upheld, predictably. Can’t have Christian getting two suspensions overturned before the season even begins. Can't be overturning suspensions just because the coach thinks it was by the rules, and was totally not a thug act by a seasoned veteran.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[Scythe94]

Edited for accuracy.

Ah yes, putting on a block is now a thug act.

Glad the AFL is making the effort to appeal to fans such as yourself.

 

[Bluelegs]

Today precedent has been set that what constitutes 'medium impact' is falling over.

 

[Lord_Travis]

Pathetic weak s**t. It’s officially now a non-contact sport.

What a great system we have in place where a player can intentionally punch an opponent in the head and get off... but brace for impact in play and you get suspended!

 

[dylan93]

The game is officially Netball.

 

[Dom PC]

If you decide to bump. You are accepting the risk be being whacked by the MRP if you touch the opposing players head. It was poor technique by May.

Doubt he will ever tidy up his game though. He is just that kind of player. It's a shame really, he is good enough without having to do that dumb s**t.

 

[Dez!]

Absolutely laughable that is considered medium impact.

 

[schmuttt]

I think it was incredibly soft BUT we know the rules and he is a dumb campaigner for doing it in a JLT match. Laughable start to his MFC career.

 

[Tap Tap Tapperoo]

Medium impact it is then. I look forward to referencing this throughout the year.