The problem we have in the AFL now is that the head is not sacrosanct and no matter how many times the AFL say it is you only have to watch games to clearly see it is not.
Head high contact is rife in the sport and what was once penalised above shoulder contact is no longer penalised.
The AFL in its stupid wisdom introduced a ruling where the player with the ball is at fault for head high contact and since that moment head high contact has increased remarkably.
Other than actually ducking your head the player with the ball should be rewarded for above shoulder contact on every occasion.
The AFL now believe and have convinced the footy public that you should be able to pick the ball up off the ground without bending over, they now call this leading with the head, of course the reality is that the player is charged at head on while trying to pick up said ball and of course is contacted above the shoulder. No free kick however.
Player has ball tries to manoeuvre, wriggle his way around incoming traffic and is consistently tackled above the shoulder. AFL deem player with ball is at fault and created the contact. No free kick.
THE HEAD IS NOT SACROSANCT.
If it was the AFL would pay these free kicks and every coach and player would simply have to change how they tackle, go in lower and tackle lower, not touch players who have their head over the ball.
Once they decided the player with the ball is at fault then they have put themselves in a bad position. It is a certainty that one day a player with the ball, making the ball his play is going to be seriously hurt and that the rules offer said player no longer protection the AFL could be in serious trouble.
Just simply return to all contact above shoulder is penalised and watch how the coaches and players change how they tackle.
The AFL have this wrong and I am sick to death of them or anyone telling me the Head is Sacrosanct because it is as far from Sacrosanct as it could possibly be.
How many of these situations, (rewarded or otherwise) occur in kickable distance from goal? I’d say a majority. Clearly the tackl-ee contributes.
Even more so in such a congested game when it appears the best tactic to get a clear shot on goal - we even call it ‘chaos ball’