Andrew Gaff hit on Brayshaw

Andrew Gaff's penalty will be...


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Mar 1, 2011
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Perth
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I genuinely believe that Umpiring has a role to play in these type of incidents. The amount of off-the ball niggle, pushing, bumping, jumper punching and associated s**t that goes unpunished must surely frustrate even the most level headed players.

Solution - Use your whistle umps. Stop the coaching, all this "No holding, no blocking" from the umpires before they bounce or throw it in just shits me.

Stamp out all that niggle and maybe, just maybe some of these acts of random idiot violence might not occur on the field.

I reckon it's absolutely inevitable that someone, somewhere will lash out when pushed and pushed and pushed. Now I'm not saying Gaff was or wasn't, nor am I saying he has an excuse for what he did. What I am saying is that I'd be surprised if incidents like this would happen if the umpires policed the off the ball stuff that, in my opinion, they aren't doing now.
Yeah, it's absolutely no excuse, but if someone like Gaff (the last guy in our side I'd pick to belt someone before last week) is capable of responding in this way due to close checking, whether he was aiming for the chest or not, makes me think that anyone could be pushed to do it.

It needs to be a combined effort of closer umpire monitoring and giving frees for off the ball checking (scragging, holding, bumping to block runs etc) and punishing any type of strike with at least a week off.
 
Apr 25, 2011
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https://www.theage.com.au/national/...t-player-with-broken-jaw-20180910-p502rn.html

ill just leave this here and again ask why AFL players should be exempt from the law like the common citizen or even in fact like their own brethren in lower leagues.

It's not one isolated broken jaw from a punch going before the magistrates, there have been several this year in the lower leagues. Seems to me, that is the standard by which we reasonably look at it (it is assault) - except AFL has magic pixie dust or something on it and it is not.
 
Feb 9, 2009
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because Fremantle fans are flogs of the highest order.
Or because people think that afl players are not above the law jstu because theyre rich and athletic entertainers, and should be subject to the same rules as the rest of us? Because any sensible person can recognise that while a dangerous tackle can be a poorly executed part of playing the game, roundhouse punches have never been and never will be part of actually playing football?

Brayshaws fathers opinion or forgiveness should have nothing to do with it.
 
Sep 15, 2011
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The AFL doesn't want it and the players don't want it. That's why you won't see AFL players being charged by police. The genuine king hits behind play with intent are no longer seen in AFL, even this was a spur of the moment * up.
 
Aug 29, 2013
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The AFL doesn't want it and the players don't want it. That's why you won't see AFL players being charged by police. The genuine king hits behind play with intent are no longer seen in AFL, even this was a spur of the moment **** up.

It's still actually debatable whether this was a king hit behind play with intent or a spur of the moment * up, as you put it.
 
Sep 15, 2011
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It's still actually debatable whether this was a king hit behind play with intent or a spur of the moment **** up, as you put it.
Everyone connected, or close, to the situation seems to have accepted it was a spontaneous and out of character act. Now, if someone ran from 50m to hit someone in the back of the head, I think everyone and the AFL would be calling for charges. But as I say, those acts don't happen any more so I don't think we will ever see an AFL player charged.
 
Aug 29, 2013
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Everyone connected, or close, to the situation seems to have accepted it was a spontaneous and out of character act. Now, if someone ran from 50m to hit someone in the back of the head, I think everyone and the AFL would be calling for charges. But as I say, those acts don't happen any more so I don't think we will ever see an AFL player charged.

Angus Brayshaw didn't. You stated it as fact, when it is far from fact. Maybe if it was tested in court one could speak confidently about intent.
 
Sep 21, 2002
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I'm only entering this debate because I've often been fascinated by the term "out of character". Yes, out of character so far as he hasn't done it before, and possibly not likely to ever do it again. However, psychologists will tell you nobody ever does anything out of character, and pressure situations are when a person's true character can rise to the surface. That's my 20 cents worth.
 

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Jul 30, 2018
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I'm only entering this debate because I've often been fascinated by the term "out of character". Yes, out of character so far as he hasn't done it before, and possibly not likely to ever do it again. However, psychologists will tell you nobody ever does anything out of character, and pressure situations are when a person's true character can rise to the surface. That's my 20 cents worth.

Exactly. Someone who skirts packs and avoids contact probably won’t ever thuggishly hit someone. If they do as soon as they’re closely checked it isn’t against character, they’ve just spent their life avoiding situations where their character can be tested.
 
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Brunswick Trap King

Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Jun 1, 2009
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Exactly. Someone who skirts packs and avoids contact probably won’t ever thuggishly hit someone. If they do as soon as they’re closely checked it isn’t against character, they’ve just spent their life avoiding situations where their character can be tested.
Yet Brad Hill did exactly that at a Narre Warren nightclub.
 
Apr 25, 2011
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The amount of striking that continues to go on in the AFL (generally as 'body shots") is quite amazing. It's almost like they want this to happen again.

Real similarities between this and the Heeney / BZT incident.

Given that the AFL don't want the body shots happening in the juniors, I'm surprised that they tolerate it in the seniors. Freo vs Hawks on the weekend and the Hawks came out with thuggery on a general level that looks to be a coaching directive, I hope that they get told behind doors to tone it down.

O'Meara charged with striking Serong.
Ceglar charged with rough conduct against Walters.
Scrimshaw charged with tripping Fyfe.
Lewis charged with striking Serong.

Which ignores the rest of it, the elbows in the gut etc. Not saying my team is holier than thou on this, it in general needs to come out of the game to reflect the modern age.
 

ghostbat12

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Aug 17, 2009
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I'm only entering this debate because I've often been fascinated by the term "out of character". Yes, out of character so far as he hasn't done it before, and possibly not likely to ever do it again. However, psychologists will tell you nobody ever does anything out of character, and pressure situations are when a person's true character can rise to the surface. That's my 20 cents worth.

What do psychologists say about aiming for chest, missing because of movement, not looking where you are swinging and then connecting with jaw?
 
Apr 17, 2006
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Given that the AFL don't want the body shots happening in the juniors, I'm surprised that they tolerate it in the seniors. Freo vs Hawks on the weekend and the Hawks came out with thuggery on a general level that looks to be a coaching directive, I hope that they get told behind doors to tone it down.

O'Meara charged with striking Serong.
Ceglar charged with rough conduct against Walters.
Scrimshaw charged with tripping Fyfe.
Lewis charged with striking Serong.

Which ignores the rest of it, the elbows in the gut etc. Not saying my team is holier than thou on this, it in general needs to come out of the game to reflect the modern age.
The thuggery was both ways. It was a hit or be hit game
 

ghostbat12

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Aug 17, 2009
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Regardless - if he miscues/hits well it can be another Gaff/Brayshaw. Completely moronic.

Well I am glad Fremantle fans have come to a obvious conclusion it was a miscue.

Heaven forbid if we all have to relive how dockers are hard done by every time there is a hit on somewhere on the planet. And beyond.
 
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