Yeah, it's a mistake. However, when the mistake is as big as this, it deserves punishment. Obviously, it's been handed out, and again, not what I wanted, but it's done.
another poster, the very wise DST, has already pointed out precedents had been set before this incident
however you want to measure the "badness" of it this time, you can't suddenly impose a different kind of penalty
it's the same with what many people wanted to do to barry hall, ie, start his suspension when his injured wrist was healed and he was fit to play
you cannot simply change the system of penalties because the media outcry is louder from one particular incident to the next
in fact, adrian anderson has actually created another rod for the afl's back by saying all clubs were now "on notice"
instead of saying "the next club that breaks this rule will have points deducted"
although that kind of wishy-washy statement is hardly new from the afl