MRP / Trib. Josh Caddy 1 match ban - Should the MRP be punishing intent not outcome?

[Cotcho]

I don't think that is a good analogy. Running a red light is always putting lives at risk whether by accident or intentional. An open hand trying to smother a handball is only going to cause concussion on rare occasions. Caddy was not ever going to know his clumsiness would end in that final outcome.

Striking someone high by accident or intentionally is breaking the laws of the game. If the player gets concussed from that action you cop the consequences of that action. Striking someone high is always putting the opposition player at risk. That's my point. However as I already said. The Caddy incident is a terrible example because IMO he is literally playing the game, not doing something outside of the rules. I'm only trying to get across that we can't throw the baby out with the bath water and say it all becomes intent and not outcome. It shouldn't be black and white. Both need to be considered and an informed decision made. A deliberate or negligent offense that has a higher negative outcome should always be graded more harshly than the same deliberate or negligent offence which caused lesser negative outcome.

I see what you’re getting at but you’ve kind of killed your own argument with the last sentence.

The fact is that in your red light / death example, there are two separate laws broken (probably more, I don’t know how the law works).

1. Run red light.
2. Something ranging from culpable driving causing death to manslaughter (again I don’t know exactly, but I’m sure there is something there in the law to catch that example).

In the AFL’s case, there is no law saying “causing a concussion is punishable by X”, just the laws of grading reportable incidents.

Really there is now an unwritten law that causing concussion will impact the penalty. The league may as well be transparent about it and actually formalise the rule. At least that way the argument is then about an actual law instead of the apparent presence of a law.

Yeah I don't disagree with all of that. knocking someone out due to accidental contact like Caddys or even Cotchins last year doesn't make sense to me as a football supporter. I'm not saying it's not crazy. I just don't think it should be turned into a "We want intent rather than outcome" fight. It shouldn't ever be only outcome as it seems to be now, nor should it revert to only intent. It should always remain as both. I honestly believe that that's the intention....they are just getting it wrong too often.

 

[HTT]

Striking someone high by accident or intentionally is breaking the laws of the game. If the player gets concussed from that action you cop the consequences of that action. Striking someone high is always putting the opposition player at risk. That's my point. However as I already said. The Caddy incident is a terrible example because IMO he is literally playing the game, not doing something outside of the rules. I'm only trying to get across that we can't throw the baby out with the bath water and say it all becomes intent and not outcome. It shouldn't be black and white. Both need to be considered and an informed decision made. A deliberate or negligent offense that has a higher negative outcome should always be graded more harshly than the same deliberate or negligent offence which caused lesser negative outcome.



Yeah I don't disagree with all of that. knocking someone out due to accidental contact like Caddys or even Cotchins last year doesn't make sense to me as a football supporter. I'm not saying it's not crazy. I just don't think it should be turned into a "We want intent rather than outcome" fight. It shouldn't ever be only outcome as it seems to be now, nor should it revert to only intent. It should always remain as both. I honestly believe that that's the intention....they are just getting it wrong too often.

Making accidental high contact with another player already carries a penalty, and it’s not a week suspension. If we’re going to go down the path of high contact = a week, we might as well skip the MRP and just red card the player that does it instead.