The AFL are a bunch of reactionaries. They ruined the game by changing the rules years ago to satisfy commercial television stations. They stuffed up by telling umpires to keep screaming "play on, play on", ignoring infractions of the laws of the game thinking that it would speed up the game, only to have the Rodney Eades' and Ross Lyons' of this world use the laws to turn Aussie rules into a dire contest.Robbie Gray, Port Adelaide, has been charged with Engaging in Rough Conduct against Zach Merrett, Essendon, during the fourth quarter of the Round Two match between Port Adelaide and Essendon, played at Adelaide Oval on Saturday March 28.
In summary he can accept a $2000 sanction with an early plea.
Now, they are reacting to the calls for protecting the head by outlawing the bump! Well bugger me! The head has always been sacrosanct in Australian rules football and it's because the AFL and the fan boys in the media of days past that snipers like Hocking, Bickley, McDermott and Smart etc etc got away relatively scot free after targeting player's heads that players thought that it was OK to smack people in the noggin.
Tipungwuti being penalised for making Hartlett earn the kick was disgraceful. Dangerfield's suspension is disgraceful as is this crap about Robbie Gray having to answer a charge of "Rough Conduct" or pay 2 grand to not answer to it which finances another cocktail party for McLachlan and the boys.
I see the trauma caused by head injuries nearly every day in my life away from Big Footy so please don't anyone think that I'm condoning impact on the head.
In soccer, it's become "fashionable" (there's that word again!) for players to jump to head the ball and put their elbows above their shoulders and fling them side ways to discourage other players to jump for the ball and risk getting whacked and if they do contest the ball, they do get whacked but referees just don't see anything wrong with it. That to is against the laws of that game and in soccer as well, there has been an outcry because of the long term injuries of concussion and the like.