Contact below the knees... Time to go!

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Mar 2, 2015
18,940
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Hawthorn
It's a great rule

We just need better umpires to stop rewarding players who play for free kicks


Don't give free kicks to players who...

1) deliberately knee an opponent in the head and then cartwheel theatrically.
2) duck their head into a tackle, or throw their head back theatrically when tackled below the shoulder
3) make no effort to win the ball, but wait for opponents to take possession and then wrap them up in a tackle with no prior opp
4) dive forwards the moment they are tackled, or the moment they receive contact in a marking contest


If I was the umpires coach, 50% of my weekly reviews & teaching would involve coaching the umps to be more alert about being conned by the free kick artists. They don't scrutinise this aspect of footy as much as they should. The people in charge acknowledge the "difficulty" of the umpires' job (with professional footballers trying to con them throughout a game) but they continue to reward the cheats.


Umpires: pull your head out of your arse and get with the program
 
Last edited:

cub

Club Legend
Jun 19, 2004
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Once again the umps just take it way too next level in thier interpretations
Happened way too many times this year against the Tigers and last night against Lewis was just utter crap, not rewarding the guy playing the ball....
 

Stopher

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 19, 2012
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A player reaching for a ball in the vicinity of another player's legs is not in the same ball park as what Lindsay Thomas did to Rohan.

What do they do when a stationary but prone player suffers a serious head/neck injury due to another player crashing in over the top trying to draw a free kick?

The Brayshaw incident was a warning for this, especially if HQ tick it off as correct adjudicating.
 

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merovingian

Draftee
Jun 15, 2004
7
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Just a reminder of what the rule is trying to prevent:



Lewis and Brayshaw didn't do that.

However, they both dived on the ball. Besides being potentially dangerous, IMO their actions make for ugly football. They both were killing the flow. Gunston and Burgoyne were both attacking the footy just as hard, but in a more attacking way. Lewis in particular saw Gunston coming, and was motivated to dive to negate him.

If it was my call, I would legislate that you have to be on your feet to take possession. Totally put an end to diving onto the ball. I also think we want to discourage people putting their head at ground level, next to the ball, much like how we want to discourage people ducking into tackles.
 

Arctic fox

It's only a game
Mar 22, 2017
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Players know it's about to happen, they then perform the fosbury flop ala Dunston and Burgoyne.
 

Tex9798

Team Captain
Sep 25, 2016
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Adelaide
Exactly. The one against Brayshaw was terrible
Some people here have selective memories, Burgoyne keeps his feet, bent over, hands outstretched nearly on the ball and in an effort to win the ball Brayshaw dived forward and took out his legs.

100% the correct call.
 
Jul 13, 2015
36,299
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AFL Club
Hawthorn
Hawthorn clearly coached and practiced to take advantage of the rule, and hopefully the rule will be changed.

Won't be the first time a rule needs to be changed because Hawthorn decide to exploit it...

What rule will Clarkson teach them to take advantage of next?

Hopefully long kicks to get the 9 point zooper goals.
 
Apr 12, 2010
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Right now it is clear that if you don't keep your feet, you are in danger of giving away a free. There may be some long term benefit to the game in that, I don't know.

But it's a tough, at times counter intuitive interpretation.

I still think the best approach would be that if you got hands on the ball BEFORE you touch the other guys legs: OK. If you take their legs out BEFORE touching the ball, then that is a trip against you.
 

Dee Train

Celebrating superiority since 2021
Aug 17, 2017
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Some people here have selective memories, Burgoyne keeps his feet, bent over, hands outstretched nearly on the ball and in an effort to win the ball Brayshaw dived forward and took out his legs.

100% the correct call.
Brayshaw was already on the ground on all fours. Watch the reply
 

Tex9798

Team Captain
Sep 25, 2016
415
615
AFL Club
Adelaide
Brayshaw was already on the ground on all fours. Watch the reply
I've watched the replay and he is clearly on his feet, he is not on the ground as you put it.

He is low, but he is not on the ground, his knees only touch the ground when he dives forward.

Unless of course you have some special replay that shows something that didn't happen.

I agree it's a silly rule but one player keeps his feet and the other dives forward and takes out his legs, always a free to the bloke who kept his legs.
 
Jun 14, 2015
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In a house with a sausage dog Trevor
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#freekickhawthorn, umps had to pull it out from somewhere.

A big problem is commentators keeping on talking about sliding...that isn’t part of the rule. Also whether a player was 1st to the ball or not isn’t relevant.
Of course it's relevant. If a player is on the ground already and you run into them then it's not a free kick.

How awkward does Brad Green look in that clip :$:$
 

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Aug 27, 2007
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Block 108 as loud as any
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Everton_East Freo_Atalanta_Tranmere
Diving on ball =/= Sliding

I think there needs to be more weight applied in terms of adjudication in regards to whether a player gets possession of the ball or not first

i.e. a player 'sliding in', making contact with another player, then getting the ball should be punished

I don't feel a player 'sliding in', getting the ball, then making contact with another player should be punished far less strictly
 

red+black

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Jul 12, 2001
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There was one in the grand final, and it was paid as it should have been. But it was a free kick against West Coast.

As legitimate as the free kick was, and was commented on at the time, I'm sure more would have been made of it if the same scenario had occurred against Collingwood.

The rule is fine, but like kicking in danger, umpires need to show some common sense and only pay it when necessary.
 

WCE fan22

Cancelled
Sep 15, 2018
144
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AFL Club
West Coast
Gunston prime example in first semi vs richmond just ran straight ahead when richmond player was down picking up the ball he wasn't even close to him to start with then he just fell over the top of him whistle gunston free what a joke agree the rule needs work the same as when two players are running after the ball in the same direction in the wet and one slides to pick it up and the other guy runs into him should be no free play on the rule needs work alot of work
 
Oct 3, 2007
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This rule has to be thrown out or only used in extremely rare circumstances.it is a blight on the game.
Is there another sport in the world than penalises a player for wanting to get the ball more than his opponent.
It was introduced as a knee jerk reaction, the players have no idea what’s going on and it’s getting to the point where you’re better off letting your opponent get the ball even though you want it more.
 

LuckyHawk

Premiership Player
Feb 16, 2016
3,105
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Hawthorn
This rule has to be thrown out or only used in extremely rare circumstances.it is a blight on the game.
Is there another sport in the world than penalises a player for wanting to get the ball more than his opponent.
It was introduced as a knee jerk reaction, the players have no idea what’s going on and it’s getting to the point where you’re better off letting your opponent get the ball even though you want it more.
In contrast the rule change is one of the few correct decisions the afl has made in recent years. Tripping your opponent is a free kick
no matter how its done. l would go a step further and include a rule where a player can't take possession of the ball when he is off
his feet. This will eliminate ugly packs and keep the ball moving.
 

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