Contact sports like AFL could cease to exist in one generation

NoobPie

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I just don't know how we reached a point where a player can show poor technique in tackling, give someone a smack on the chops, and not give away a free kick merely because the bloke who has won the footy was trying to avoid the tackler.

Because neither you or greatwhiteshark are being honest in your assessments. A good practice when something "just doesn't make sense to you" is to assume it is your reading of the situation rather than the situation itself

The high tackle (as well as the push in the back in tackling situations) is very hard to adjudicate in the professional era. Players taking possession and whose first instinct is to try to draw high contact is neither good for the game play or player safety. Likewise players entering contest head first (which, mind you are generally rewarded with high contact.
 

TWLS

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Nice bit of propaganda writing by the Rugby League guy who inserted the AFL in the mix. The media up there stick the boot in when they can.
However it said in a generation which is usually 20 years so who knows, and it is a broad sweeping statement quite common these days.
 
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Because neither you or greatwhiteshark are being honest in your assessments. A good practice when something "just doesn't make sense to you" is to assume it is your reading of the situation rather than the situation itself

The high tackle (as well as the push in the back in tackling situations) is very hard to adjudicate in the professional era. Players taking possession and whose first instinct is to try to draw high contact is neither good for the game play or player safety. Likewise players entering contest head first (which, mind you are generally rewarded with high contact.

As greatwhite said, the head is meant to be sacrosanct, yet we have a situation where a large chunk of the footy public thinks its acceptable to whack the player with the ball across the chops, or try and tackle them head first, merely because the bloke who won the ball in the first place is trying to evade the tackler.

My personal opinion is that the onus should be on the tackler, you know, the bloke second to the ball, to tackle legally, i.e. to tackle below the shoulder.

If he goes high, it should be a free kick against him. He should either learn to tackle correctly, or next time, be first to the footy.

We are constantly trying to work out how to keep the play open. Here is a thought: force players to tackle legally! Give the bloke who won the footy in the first place the right to duck and weave around a tackler. If he gets caught legally, fair enough, but if he receives a high one, he must win the free kick.
 

NoobPie

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As greatwhite said, the head is meant to be sacrosanct, yet we have a situation where a large chunk of the footy public thinks its acceptable to whack the player with the ball across the chops, or try and tackle them head first, merely because the bloke who won the ball in the first place is trying to evade the tackler.

My personal opinion is that the onus should be on the tackler, you know, the bloke second to the ball, to tackle legally, i.e. to tackle below the shoulder.

If he goes high, it should be a free kick against him. He should either learn to tackle correctly, or next time, be first to the footy.

We are constantly trying to work out how to keep the play open. Here is a thought: force players to tackle legally! Give the bloke who won the footy in the first place the right to duck and weave around a tackler. If he gets caught legally, fair enough, but if he receives a high one, he must win the free kick.

You are being deliberately obtuse
 

NoobPie

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Actually, come to think of it if Steve Hocking is serious about reducing tackling this is the sure fire way to achieve it - just make it absolute that if there is any high contact made on the player with the ball it is a free kick regardless of that player's contribution. People can just head but a tackling arm and they are awarded with a free kick!
 
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Actually, come to think of it if Steve Hocking is serious about reducing tackling this is the sure fire way to achieve it - just make it absolute that if there is any high contact made on the player with the ball it is a free kick regardless of that player's contribution. People can just head but a tackling arm and they are awarded with a free kick!

Whoever is first to the footy should be the one getting the benefit of the doubt. Onus is on the bloke second to the footy to tackle legally.
 

NoobPie

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Whoever is first to the footy should be the one getting the benefit of the doubt. Onus is on the bloke second to the footy to tackle legally.

If only reality can be dumbed down into cliches. Things would be so easy
 

BIRDBRAIN

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Whoever is first to the footy should be the one getting the benefit of the doubt. Onus is on the bloke second to the footy to tackle legally.

Problem is these days all these 'first to the ball blokes' actually want to be tackled so they can not dispose of the ball and cause a stoppage. You see it hundreds of times a game. When I was a kid if you got tackled with the ball and didn't get rid of it you got pinged.
 
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Problem is these days all these 'first to the ball blokes' actually want to be tackled so they can not dispose of the ball and cause a stoppage. You see it hundreds of times a game. When I was a kid if you got tackled with the ball and didn't get rid of it you got pinged.

If there's no prior, and the tackle is legal, it's a ball up.
What you have said should not be a justification to allow the tackler to go high.
 
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Doubt it will change things, there will be a cure before people stop playing contact sports. People have unscientifically known about the ramifications of combat sports for years, long before the term CTE entered the conversation and it's more popular than ever.
 

NoobPie

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No local news would publish this;

Local News have published the same story several times ....maybe they've decided they'll hold off writing another until someone produces new evidence or if this alleged class action actually happens rather?
 
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Pippen94

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Local News have published the same story several times ....maybe they've decided they'll hold off writing another until someone produces new evidence or if this alleged class action actually happens rather?
Or pressured to stop from league?
 

NoobPie

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Or pressured to stop from league?

Nah, news papers will generally not continue to print the same story over and over when there is no new information.....








Anyway, today's the day to celebrate the great culture triumph that is the Australian Football League Grand Final in all its glory. Don't choke on it!
 
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...Anyway, today's the day to celebrate the great culture triumph that is the Australian Football League Grand Final in all its glory. Don't choke on it!
Ha ha - yes, this is old news here. Today is a day to celebrate Australia's national game - apart from a paranoid nrl Rugby troll whose worst nightmare has come true - win or lose, this is immense for the Giants.
 

BringBackTorps

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These are the facts, as we currently know them, re the possibility of CTE/brain disorders in current & former AF players:-

. in 2018, there are c.1,650,000 regd. AF players- 2019 will see another good increase. This number has risen greatly in recent years, with booming growth also
in NSW, ACT, & Qld.
Since 1858, a back-of the-envelope estimate of the total no. of AF players would be would c. 30,000,000+ (some players counted multiple times, over many years).

. there is NO widespread or unusual pattern of former AF players being "punch-drunk"/having slurred speech or memory loss (as was seen in many, but not most, boxers); or of having early memory loss issues and/or violent behaviour (which was seen in an unusually high % -but still a small minority- of former gridiron players).

People can develop neurological disorders (including many who have NEVER played a contact sport) at a fairly young age, for reasons that are unclear- however, experts have warned that drug & heavy alcohol use can, probably, cause these issues.

. NO AF players have been diagnosed with CTE (early, severe brain damage). Ditto, Aust. RU players, AFAIK.

In RL, 2 players, who died in middle age recently, have been diagnosed with CTE- Steve Folkes & another (undisclosed).


. elite RL & RU players (&, usually, GR players) are much heavier than the average AF player, & hit harder. Also, in children's RL & RU, there are often significant differences in weight, strength & size. Due, probably, to the fear of injury, there has been a significant long term decline in Aust. of males playing RL & RU. The elite NRL & RU ranks (& elite underage squads) now comprise c. 45% of players from Islander/Maori/Euro-NZ backgrounds.
Elite male player demographics are disproportionately skewed for RL & RU in Australia- with, possible, severe consequences for these codes (ie the player pool continues to narrow).
There are now c. 100 players on AFL lists, who were born in NSW, ACT, or Qld., a record. This record is almost certain to grow, due the strong growth of GR AF there.

On 4.9.19, NRL legend A. Johns said on WWOS that (paraphrasing) the NRL will be unable to expand beyond 16 teams, because the standard of the competition would drop too much "Less kids are playing these days". Channel 9 executives, & B. Fittler, P. Gallen & many other RL players & RL MSM experts support A. John's view. ie it is too difficult for the NRL to expand, due to lack of depth. This, also, may cause the NRL to decline.

Many RL officials (including P. Beatie), many RL MSM commentators (including P. Kent, P. Rothfield, P. Gould, G. Hughes, M. Knox etc.), & ex NRL players have commented, re NSW, ACT, & Qld., on the rise of GR AF and/or the decline of GR male RL player nos.

The general issues of concussion, & a legal claim against the AFL for alleged previous practices, have been widely publicised- contrary to Pippen's claim.
The AFL is vigorously defending a legal claim against it, & will be relying on independent medical research, as well as its own doctors & medical researchers.
It is also using expert, independent medical research to explore these issues further, to enhance the future wellbeing of players. The AFLPA also consult assiduously their own medical experts & researchers (ie who are independent of the AFL) on these issues.

. the Rules of AF have (for over 100 years) generally outlawed head-high contact.

. in Gridiron, RL, & RU, much more head-high contact was/is legally permissible. Gridiron players, who are much stronger & heavier than AF players, even use their heads/helmets as battering rams.

Pippen (as with virtually all his anti-AF posts) does not mention these relevant factors, to give "the full picture". He is an NRL fan, who pretends to be an AF fan, & is trolling BF across many threads.
 
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EXcellent post, BringBackTorps, though I'm not sure Pippen pretends to be an AFL fan. His first 30 posts or so (just check his posting record) made it blatantly obvious he was an nrl rugby troll, with equal degrees of ignorance and paranoia - especially about the growth of GWS and Australian Football in Sydney's west.
 

Pippen94

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These are the facts, as we currently know them, re the possibility of CTE/brain disorders in current & former AF players:-

. in 2018, there are c.1,650,000 regd. AF players- 2019 will see another good increase. This number has risen greatly in recent years, with booming growth in NSW, ACT, & Qld.
Since 1858, a back-of the-envelope estimate of the total no. of AF players would be would c. 30,000,000+ (some players counted multiple times, over many years).

. there is NO widespread or unusual pattern of former AF players being "punch-drunk"/having slurred speech or memory loss (as was seen in many, but not most, boxers); or of having early memory loss issues and/or violent behaviour (which was seen in an unusually high % -but still a small minority- of former gridiron players).

People can develop neurological disorders (including many who have NEVER played a contact sport) at a fairly young age, for reasons that are unclear- however, experts have warned that drug & heavy alcohol use can, probably, cause these issues.

. NO AF players have been diagnosed with CTE (early, severe brain damage)
Ditto, Aust. RU players, AFAIK (but I only have a reasonable knowledge of Aust. RU- not foreign RU, outside of the RU World Cup).

In RL, 2 players, who died in middle age recently, have been diagnosed with CTE- Steve Folkes & another (undisclosed).


. elite RL & RU players (&, usually, GR players) are much heavier than the average AF player, & hit harder. Due, probably, to the fear of injury, there has been a significant long term decline in Aust. of males playing RL & RU. The elite NRL & RU ranks (& elite underage squads) now comprise c. 45% of players from Islander/Maori/Euro-NZ backgrounds.
Elite male player demographics are disproportionately skewed for RL & RU in Australia- with, possible, severe consequences for these codes. There are now c. 100 players on AFL lists, who were born in NSW, ACT, or Qld., a record. This record is almost certain to grow, due the strong growth of GR AF there.

On 4.9.19, NRL legend A. Johns said on WWOS that (paraphrasing) the NRL will be unable to expand beyond 16 teams, because the standard of the competition would drop too much "Less kids are playing these days". B. Fittler, P. Gallen & many other RL players & RL MSM experts support A. John's view. ie it is too difficult for the NRL to expand, due to lack of depth.

Many RL officials (including P. Beatie), many RL MSM commentators (including P. Kent, P. Rothfield, P. Gould, G. Hughes, M. Knox etc.), & ex NRL players have commented, re NSW, ACT, & Qld., on the rise of GR AF and/or the decline of GR male RL player nos.

The general issues of concussion, & a legal claim against the AFL for alleged previous practices, have been widely publicised- contrary to Pippen's claim.
The AFL is vigorously defending a legal claim against it, & will be relying on independent medical research, as well as its own doctors & medical researchers. It is also using expert, independent medical research to explore these issues further, to enhance the future wellbeing of players.. The AFLPA also consult assiduously their own medical experts & researchers (ie who are independent of the AFL) on these issues.

. the Rules of AF have (for over 100 years) generally outlawed head-high contact.

. in Gridiron, RL, & RU, much more head-high contact was/is legally permissible. Gridiron players, who are much stronger & heavier than AF players, even use their heads as battering rams.

Pippen (as with virtually all his anti-AF posts) does not mention these relevant factors, to give "the full picture". He is an NRL fan, who pretends to be an AF fan, & is trolling BF across many threads.

This is an issue in all contact sport whether you like it or not.
 

Pippen94

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Richmond injury list heading into GF;
Nathan Broad Concussion
Jack Higgins Brain bleed
 
Sep 24, 2006
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If you're going to troll, at least get your basic facts right. Jack Highin's condition was due to a congenital abnormality, not a football injury.


What stands out is how small Richmonds injury list is after at the end of a long season
 
Richmond injury list heading into GF;
Nathan Broad Concussion
Jack Higgins Brain bleed

Higgins isn't concussion related, it's from a condition he has had since birth (which was only detected this year)
 

Pippen94

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There was a huge head clash towards end of magpies & gws last week - interesting no injury reported.
 
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