Choppy

[Phhht]

Couldn't find the clip on youtube and haven't seen the incident for a while, but this freeze frame pretty much confirms my recollection. Begley head down going to pick up the ball, Choppy focused on cleaning him up and making serious front on contact to the head coming in at a pretty fast pace. Was a bit of a landmark case with the AFL out to make a statement so at the time the six weeks came as a bit of a shock, but I think they got the punishment right with that one.

Yeah that pic certainly doesnt look good. From memory though, he didnt even hit Begley in the head. He got him on the shoulder. After the shock, Begley got up and walked off. If Choppy got him front on in the head, Begley would have been in a world of hurt.

Its a fine line and it rightfully (front on bumps to players bent over the ball) has been scutinized out of the game. But I still think that Begley one was on the 'minor' scale of those incidents. But as I said, Its more than likely I have Choppy shaded lenses on

 

[Hellgood]

Yeah that pic certainly doesnt look good. From memory though, he didnt even hit Begley in the head. He got him on the shoulder. After the shock, Begley got up and walked off. If Choppy got him front on in the head, Begley would have been in a world of hurt.

Its a fine line and it rightfully (front on bumps to players bent over the ball) has been scutinized out of the game. But I still think that Begley one was on the 'minor' scale of those incidents. But as I said, Its more than likely I have Choppy shaded lenses on

I loved him as a player too, but had no problem with the intense focus on those kind of hits. There really is no place for that in the game.

 

[Macca19]

He glanced Begleys head but predominantly got him in the shoulder. Still, it was a very ugly thing to do with 30 seconds left in a NAB match.

I cant imagine what he would have got for the Krummell hit these days. Probably 8+. Even the Kirk one which was a good honest hip and shoulder he'd be looking at 3-4 these days.

Long live Byron! Doubt we'll see a player like him ever again.

 

[Powerstufff]

.... Doubt we'll see a player like him ever again.

I know it's not what you mean but I thought I saw him yesterday, sat with his crew on the eastern boundary below the Dad's* Army bar. I was going to say "G'day" but couldn't face that if it wasn't him I was going to be tarred with the "What, do we all look alike?" brush

* their punctuation

 

[HaroldOliver]

I know it's not what you mean but I thought I saw him yesterday, sat with his crew on the eastern boundary below the Dad's* Army bar. I was going to say "G'day" but couldn't face that if it wasn't him I was going to be tarred with the "What, do we all look alike?" brush

* their punctuation

Byron was definitely at Alberton yesterday.

 

[Power Raid]

My favourite PAFC player ever.

And my wife's nickname

 

[Power Raid]

I loved him as a player too, but had no problem with the intense focus on those kind of hits. There really is no place for that in the game.

I didn't agree at the time but footy is better without it

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Choppy came up to reception when Lockhardt Road and I were up there just before they opened up the gates. The receptionist said - here comes trouble. Not sure if she meant his 3 kids or Choppy himself. He looked in really good shape compared to about 18 months ago when I last saw him.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

...And my wife's nickname

Ooooooookaaaaayyyyyyy.

 

[elsler]

Byron was definitely at Alberton yesterday.

yep he was in front of the bar i was leaning on and he was on the terrace sitting watching the game

 

[tribey]

Couldn't find the clip on youtube and haven't seen the incident for a while, but this freeze frame pretty much confirms my recollection. Begley head down going to pick up the ball, Choppy focused on cleaning him up and making serious front on contact to the head coming in at a pretty fast pace. Was a bit of a landmark case with the AFL out to make a statement so at the time the six weeks came as a bit of a shock, but I think they got the punishment right with that one.

Happened right in front of me! Right. In front. Of moi.

Can't believe it's been 10 years.

 

[Powerstufff]

Happened right in front of me! Right. In front. Of moi.

Can't believe it's been 10 years.

A relatively short time afterwards Brett Burton did something nearly identical and either walked or got a slap on the wrist. My outrage still bubbles along.

 

[charcolechaddy]

yep he was in front of the bar i was leaning on and he was on the terrace sitting watching the game

Loved the transformers T.

 

[I Dont Care]

Love Choppy - but the Krummell and the Begley hits were atrocious. I'm glad that those incidents are now virtually out of the game and when they do occur create a shitstorm. The context of the time was that the game tolerated those kind of incidents to an extent, so not calling it a dog act - but that kind of stuff has no place in our game.

But enough about the controversy, what a wonderfully talented footballer he was. Not too many combine the frightful brutality without the ball with the sheer grace and power he had when it was in his hands.

The only dog act in those was Walls commentary in the Biglands one

 

[Andre]

A relatively short time afterwards Brett Burton did something nearly identical and either walked or got a slap on the wrist. My outrage still bubbles along.

Things like this is what I still hate most about the tribunal, even with the recent changes that appear to be a big improvement. And that's not allowed to use precedence. It's the AFL's **** you, we can protect golden boys going the cheap hit (hiya Gary Jr.) or hang out to dry those they want (Byron). Shouldn't matter if it's a first year player or one of the games superstars an identical hit should carry an identical penalty, not be open to the chook raffle.

 

[Byrons Firen]

I know it's not what you mean but I thought I saw him yesterday, sat with his crew on the eastern boundary below the Dad's* Army bar. I was going to say "G'day" but couldn't face that if it wasn't him I was going to be tarred with the "What, do we all look alike?" brush

* their punctuation

That was him alright with his children (which accounts for the # of OAK cartons around him).
I had a quick chat with him and said thanks for the memories. A pity we didn't catch up,
was looking for you. Maybe family day or a Magpies game.

 

[I Dont Care]

I know it's not what you mean but I thought I saw him yesterday, sat with his crew on the eastern boundary below the Dad's* Army bar. I was going to say "G'day" but couldn't face that if it wasn't him I was going to be tarred with the "What, do we all look alike?" brush

* their punctuation

Just say G'day anyway #weallportsupporters

 

[El_Scorcho]

Choppy hit Begley high because Begley fumbled the ball as he tried to pick it up and turned into the path of the oncoming freight train.

It and similar incidents were a big part of the AFL putting the burden of responsibility on the bumping player.

 

[Fade to Gray]

Choppy should have gone for the Begley bump, but the thing that pissed me off, was the grading of deliberate, because the Chairman of the tribunal stated the bump was deliberate, therefore any time you bump and get reported then the grading is automatically deliberate. This same interpretation has never applied since. It should have been classed as reckless.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Three months after the Pickett bump, Brad Miller handed out a bump on Ken McGregor almost identical to Pickett's and received a two match ban. Miller carried 93 demerit points to his grading so could have escaped with one game. At the time Mike Sheahan and Chip Le Grande wrote articles about the unfairness of the decisions. They viewed them as entirely comparable bumps with wildly divergent outcomes.

The MRP were carried away with their shiny new toy and the first chance they had to use it was on a player they probably had in their sights from the outset.

 

[Andre]

Three months after the Pickett bump, Brad Miller handed out a bump on Ken McGregor almost identical to Pickett's and received a two match ban. Miller carried 93 demerit points to his grading so could have escaped with one game. At the time Mike Sheahan and Chip Le Grande wrote articles about the unfairness of the decisions. They viewed them as entirely comparable bumps with wildly divergent outcomes.

The MRP were carried away with their shiny new toy and the first chance they had to use it was on a player they probably had in their sights from the outset.

Yeah, sliding doors, but would Bryon have been able to continue playing if it'd been Miller first, Pickett second? Bryon would have known things had changed, but wouldn't have been wiped out to such a degree he was left second guessing himself from that point.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

This video shows you some of the work Choppy is doing with the Power Community stuff and how far and wide he is travelling and in this case with the WillPOWER program. The other bloke in the video is Paul Vandenbergh the Aboriginal Programs Manager. There was a story about Paul, Choppy and Krak working in the program and travelling some 48,000 kms to deliver the program.

 

[tribey]

Three months after the Pickett bump, Brad Miller handed out a bump on Ken McGregor almost identical to Pickett's and received a two match ban. Miller carried 93 demerit points to his grading so could have escaped with one game. At the time Mike Sheahan and Chip Le Grande wrote articles about the unfairness of the decisions. They viewed them as entirely comparable bumps with wildly divergent outcomes.

The MRP were carried away with their shiny new toy and the first chance they had to use it was on a player they probably had in their sights from the outset.

Pickett was all but martyr'd. Remember the laughable 2-week suspension he got later that year for hitting Wiggins up the front marginally late on a mark while attempting to pull up?

Meanwhile Stenglein effectively ended Eckermann's career at Subiaco and got one week.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

That bump was a 4 week bump under the then new MRP rules in 2005. By definition it was reckless - severely - but because the MRP said it was intentional it went straight to the tribunal and he got 650 pts - somehow they came up with that. He should have got 450 pts with a reckless conduct ruling. He was the first case the MRP looked at and they ****ed it up. I accepted it at the time but 3 months later after several cases and the MRP/Tribunal said a punch to the balls wasnt intentional it was just reckless - to me a punch is the only thing that can be called intentional - you have no idea whats in a players head when they go for a bump. But the Miller hit on McGregor in May I read the full MRP?Tribunal rule book and I was pissed off. Wrote half a novel about it at this thread I started.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/pickett-miller-and-the-mrp.169822/

 

[SwampRat]

When Abbott said he was going to shirt front Putin the ABC and I think Ch 7 used the Krummell bump as an example of a shirt front on their news stories.

Tony meant a rugger bugger shirtfront - grab the guy by his shirt and eyeball him.

Long's bump on Simmonds in the 2000 GF was bloody dangerous and could havs broken his neck/spine. Long hit him at full speed from front on.

Pretty sure if Tony tried either form of shirt front on Putin he would end up murdered.