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- Dec 14, 2015
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“Initially, and I still think to this point, he had every right to attack the football,” Gabelich told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“He left the ground, and when he left the ground, he had intention still to mark the football.
“When he braced for impact to protect himself, that was a reflex, so he didn’t incur any more injuries.
“I don’t think there was any point that he thought ‘I’m gonna knock this guy out, I’m gonna make him earn it’.
“I think it was a collision that happens in football
The sensitivity of recent times has nearly ruined the game as with most things in society. This is because usually when things are implemented with good intentions, the overly sensitive nature of today's world will push it to extremities while disregarding context in an attempt to preemptively save face rather than properly and fairly address a matter at hand.
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Former players getting dementia in their 40s and 50s is probably a pretty good reason for the league to take it very seriously. They are absolutely right to crack down on conduct that might lead to concussions, it’s just a very hard thing to police to everybody’s satisfactionThe sensitivity of recent times has nearly ruined the game as with most things in society. This is because usually when things are implemented with good intentions, the overly sensitive nature of today's world will push it to extremities while disregarding context in an attempt to preemptively save face rather than properly and fairly address a matter at hand.
I guess:Former players getting dementia in their 40s and 50s is probably a pretty good reason for the league to take it very seriously. They are absolutely right to crack down on conduct that might lead to concussions, it’s just a very hard thing to police to everybody’s satisfaction
unpopular opinion but talk is always about platers duty off care, does the extended coverage show Cunningham aware 2MP was coming and continued on that path with little regard too his own safety?He went hard at the ball because he had no idea Cunningham was there until a microsecond before impact.
s**t outcome for Cunningham, but I feel for 2MP as I suspect he's a bit of a sensitive soul and looked pretty upset.
Making Papley the biggest flog of allI don't think I've seen a player publicly call for another player to eat a suspension the way Papley did.
Compare that to Sicily (who is just as much of aflog) having McGrath come out in his defense.
Most punchable face in AFL.Making Papley the biggest flog of all
Maybe we might start seeing players pulling out entirely.It is a tough one, I really don’t know what the answer is with these sort of collisions.
The same incident - two players on a collision course going for the ball - BUT with the ball on the ground… we seem to have largely solved. It started out with the AFL suspending anybody who collected anyone in the head - which I maintain is a flawed approach. The fault in that situation is on the player who leads with his head and and gets taken out. It shat me to tears for many years… Selwood was the main offender, the bloke simply cannoned into ground ball contests… leading with his head. It’d get taken out and the other guy would get suspended while we all had to listen to how incredibly brave Joel was. Well yes he was a tough player, he was also stupidly reckless and refused to protect himself.
That seems to have worked itself out. Two players on a collision course for a ground ball now turn their bodies and hit the contest side on. Which is the best outcome as nobody’s head is in danger.
This is similar, but with the ball in the air.
How should it be looked at? In the strictest and most traditional sense, it’s Cunningham’s fault that he got knocked out. Two players attacked a contest and only one of them chose not to protect himself.
But that was pretty much required for him to get the ball. And that’s what we laud in football - “putting yourself on the line” - Cunningham did that, sacrificing his own wellbeing to stop Wright getting the ball and maybe going on to score a goal.
Really, Cunningham’s only other option was to pull out of the contest, which we do not accept.
So even though it was Cunningham’s fault, it was done with the most laudable football intentions. For 100+ years, all fair, well done, ridiculously brave, bad luck, everybody gets on with it and Wright doesn’t face any problems because he was merely protecting himself in the contest.
That doesn’t wash any more.
What were Wright’s options? Hard to know if he had any given we’re talking milliseconds. Obviously first and foremost he’s going for the ball, at what point does he consciously realise he’s not getting it and instead brace for contact? There probably isn’t a conscious decision, it’s all so quick.
What else can he do? I guess he can attack the contest with venom but instead attempt to get low. Broken ribs, punctured lung for Cunningham, which appears to be the preferred option.
Or he can pull out entirely, which we won’t accept.
Really, the only true way to get rid of these collisions is to make it “black and white” illegal to make contact with any player who is in the air going for a mark. Players won’t do it and will actively pull out of contests. We obviously won’t accept that.
Logical conclusion. Pardon the pun but we are definitely on a collision course between CTE and 100 years of coach’s orders to fill space and put your body on the lineMaybe we might start seeing players pulling out entirely.
This week at least.Most punchable face in AFL.
I see the CTE truther has logged inI guess:
a) correlation does = causation; and
b) anecdotes do = data.
unpopular opinion but talk is always about platers duty off care, does the extended coverage show Cunningham aware 2MP was coming and continued on that path with little regard too his own safety?
he was going for a chest mark, that is why his last second brace looks so bad.To avoid suspension Wright needed to either be badly injured or to tuck himself up so he was all elbows and knees and go straight at the footy, attempting to chest mark
Cunningham would still be in hospital if Wright had done that but there would have been no suspension
To be fair I didn’t think there was much in it
he was going for a chest mark, that is why his last second brace looks so bad.
perhaps the long term solution is to ban the sort of action that the Sydney player made.
1.Wright was leading and a team mate passed to him.
2. Wright needs to move at speed to beat his opponent to the ball.
3. Sydney player see ball and thinks he can get to it before Wright.
4. Sydney player bravely runs towards Wright and causes impact.
5.Both players moving at speed without having looked at each other and car crash occurs.
6. Wright looks worse because he was shaped to take a make between chest and waist.
I understand why they want to suspend Wright.
1.It feels unfair that Sydney are down a player.
2. There are countless serious lawsuits based on head injuries.
3.Brayshaw was retired by a late hit that was actually intentional by Maynard ladt year.
4. It looks terrible.
So as a law maker what do you do that will sustainability change players behaviour? I note a contest between Gresham and Sydney defender where both went low and turned to avoid contact, where 20 years ago it was an opportunity to end a guy.
You cant stop forwards leading for the ball, or team mates kicking in front of the lead.
You can stop a forward running into someone who is in your way when you start leading ... but how do you stop someone who has run into your space while youre watching the ball?
Not brace for contact in a split second where he saw something out of his peripheral vision apparently.This is unfortunately the world we are in with CTE especially after Maynard got off.
Cunningham should probably be expecting contact there. He literally walked into the path of a key forward running full tilt at the ball. Prior to jumping to take a chest mark wrights eyes are square on the ball.
You can't ban a guy for getting KO'd but The AFL needs to steer away from what Cunningham did as being courageous, to just being stupid.
I can see why the AFL would want wright banned for what he did but what was he supposed to do? Just stop mid air? What is the actual alternate action he could do?
Not brace for contact in a split second where he saw something out of his peripheral vision apparently.
This.so not be human.
Cunningham would be a bug on the windscreen regardless if he braces or not.
When Pete jumped all he was looking at was the ball.
This is the point and I hope it doesn't get lost in what will be a shit show prior to the hearing.Not brace for contact in a split second where he saw something out of his peripheral vision apparently.