Steven May's mark - What will the AFL do?

Couple of disclaimers:
Not a whinging Saints fan.
I don't want May suspended.
I have brought this issue up before.

Last night Steven May

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took a great speccy on Zane Cordy.



Read it well, got the sit, love it.

However...

Zane Cordy was taken to the bench and subsequently failed a concussion test. He missed the rest of the game and will be out next week per AFL protocol around head injuries.

"So what?" I hear you ask.

Well the AFL have made it very clear that they are going to clamp down on any action that they believe was avoidable when it comes to head injuries/concussions.

We have seen the 'bump' change from the old school, Byron Pickett

Byron Pickett

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style "take a bloke out" tactic to now being almost non existent.

We are currently in the middle of tackling being given a complete overhaul with players being sighted for pinning arms, double movements, spinning and swinging etc

So, with Steven May

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Steven May

Age

32

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193cm

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101kg

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Def

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14.7

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15.5

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12.1

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3.4

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3.4

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378.4

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's mark in mind; Do we think the AFL will do anything about the speccy? Will the AFL deem May's choice to raise his knee as "reckless" and actually suspend him for taking a hanger?

We could argue all day that it's "part of the game", but the same could have been said about bumping and tackles.

Again, I'll reiterate, I DONT WANT TO SEE THIS BANNED.

My fear though is that the AFL are going down a path that in 3... 5... 10... years' time will end up with what May did will actually being a penalty rather than a highlight.

Anyone else feel the same?

 

[Saab NLAW]

I am not saying I want a full ban on high marking, all I am saying is that if the AFL is as serious as they claim to be in relation to CTE and concussions then it is likely that they are going to have to address the speccy at some point.

There is no other non-combat sport in the world where you can legally knee an unaware person at high speed in the back of the head.

I agree with you completely, this issue highlights the AFL's ridiculous stance and how they've cherry picked rules.

The only real solution is to completely stamp out all actions that may result in head contact, but no one wants that

 

[p4p1]

It is very rare to concuss/injure someone whilst taking a speccie. To my knowledge anyway I can’t recall too many. And would you be outlawing the action or the outcome? Steven May had no malicious intent and flew for the mark like many players do each week. AFL will not outlaw this.

You could say the same about so many things that we have seen guys get rubbed out for when they caused a concussion.

 

[LoungeLizard]

They're going to have to stop kicking the footy, there is a chance someone could have the ball kicked into their face and cause a concussion.

 

[mr bagcroft]

They are going to have to ban eating breakfast upon rising prior to a game, for all players.
What if a bit of crust goes down the wrong way!

 

[Mat Mann]

It is very rare to concuss/injure someone whilst taking a speccie. To my knowledge anyway I can’t recall too many. And would you be outlawing the action or the outcome? Steven May had no malicious intent and flew for the mark like many players do each week. AFL will not outlaw this.

That's the entire point, how many tackles have we seen with intent to hurt an opposition player lately?

it's been a fair progression to get where we are

they were taught to initially raise their arms in a tackle to give a handball
then tacklers taught to pin arms,
then taught to stand up in a tackle, ride the 180/360/480/720 spin, and handball
then tacklers were taught to drag them to the ground, and then we started seeing concussions

the OP is just pointing out the hypocrisy.

if the umps just reverted to blowing the whistle quicker like they did in the 80's ie.180 spin = free kick, then the rest of this discussion would be mute.

instead, the AFL went down a route that has numerous exceptions attached

 

[p4p1]

if the umps just reverted to blowing the whistle quicker like they did in the 80's ie.180 spin = free kick, then the rest of this discussion would be mute.

instead, the AFL went down a route that has numerous exceptions attached

This is a really important point IMO. The AFL significantly reduced prior opportunity but have instructed umpires to allow much more time for players to dispose of the ball. I'm sure it was part of some kind of balancing to allow players time to dispose of the ball now they have next to no time before they have prior opportunity but as you have said that could be a significant factor in tackles creating more concussions.
IIRC they did it to speed the game up and create less stoppages.

 

[HairyO]

Unintentional/accidental , a product of the game

Nothing to see here

Isnt that pretty much all the tackles? Given we never see spear tackles in the AFL.

Bumps are different because there are other choices. But what other choice is there with tackles?

 

[_Mike_]

Isnt that pretty much all the tackles? Given we never see spear tackles in the AFL.

Bumps are different because there are other choices. But what other choice is there with tackles?

There’s a fine line, but also a point where a player makes a conscious decision to sling the opponent in a tackle. Once a player has committed themselves to a marking contest, their feet have left the ground, then the opportunity to adjust or change is beyond the initial action. Consequences of knocking out another player by accidental contact can result.

Arguably the same cannot be said as a (sling) tackle that results in concussion is based on an intentional manoeuvre, reckless in application, that could cause injury.

 

[markm106]

That's the entire point, how many tackles have we seen with intent to hurt an opposition player lately?

it's been a fair progression to get where we are

they were taught to initially raise their arms in a tackle to give a handball
then tacklers taught to pin arms,
then taught to stand up in a tackle, ride the 180/360/480/720 spin, and handball
then tacklers were taught to drag them to the ground, and then we started seeing concussions

the OP is just pointing out the hypocrisy.

if the umps just reverted to blowing the whistle quicker like they did in the 80's ie.180 spin = free kick, then the rest of this discussion would be mute.

instead, the AFL went down a route that has numerous exceptions attached

There’s far more chance and instance of players being injured in a tackle than a high mark. I get where OP is coming from but it’s not going to happen. We can’t completely sanitise the game.

 

[p4p1]

There’s far more chance and instance of players being injured in a tackle than a high mark. I get where OP is coming from but it’s not going to happen. We can’t completely sanitise the game.

Would you have said that a decade ago about the tackle though?

 

[markm106]

Would you have said that a decade ago about the tackle though?

Do you honestly think they’ll ban speccies? I could see a world where report for an unrealistic attempt where a player is injured. But not for a genuine attempt

 

[ZionMig22]

The day the AFL suspends blokes for this is the day the game is officially dead

And the nuffies having a sook just confirms they have never played a game of football in their lives

 

[p4p1]

Do you honestly think they’ll ban speccies? I could see a world where report for an unrealistic attempt where a player is injured. But not for a genuine attempt

I don't but I could certainly see in the future, marks like May's being judged worthy of a ban by the AFL. Much like textbook tackles that happen to go wrong and result in a concussion. I'm not sure why you can't. We have seen two guys compete fairly for the ball, one is a split second later and decides at the last second to try and protect himself from a head on collision get banned for multiple weeks. Players have had to try and adjust accordingly, why do you think taking hangers is going to be any different.
In that situation what I could see the AFL saying is that 'May could have chosen to body his opponent out and take the mark.' or 'May could have jumped in a way that would have protected the defenceless opposition player.' and that he 'chose to lead with his knee in the marking contest.'

 

[p4p1]

The day the AFL suspends blokes for this is the day the game is officially dead

And the nuffies having a sook just confirms they have never played a game of football in their lives

I don't think anyone is having a sook. More just pointing out the hypocrisy of the rules as they currently stand and given the recent trends, that players in the future could be suspended for what is absolutely a footballing act because their opponent was unlucky and things happen in fast, physical contact sports.

 

[ZionMig22]

I don't think anyone is having a sook. More just pointing out the hypocrisy of the rules as they currently stand and given the recent trends, that players in the future could be suspended for what is absolutely a footballing act because their opponent was unlucky and things happen in fast, physical contact sports.

An when that day comes is the day AFL is done

 

[p4p1]

An when that day comes is the day AFL is done

We all said that about perfect tackles as well. So either AFL is already dead or we all learn to adapt.

 

[Sentinel]

A little ironic that Cordy was on the end of this given his own knee cleaning up Callan Ward

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in a marking contest arguably put the Bulldogs into a Grand Final.

 

[Chat Pile]

It's an interesting discussion but I'm still wondering about the formatting of OPs post.

 

[EconomicDecline]

I just had another look. May had his eyes on the ball the whole time. There’s no way you can outlaw the action when it’s not intentional.

It has to be intentional. Why else would he have raised his knees if he wasn’t intending to go off of Cordy’s back.

 

[markm106]

It has to be intentional. Why else would he have raised his knees if he wasn’t intending to go off of Cordy’s back.

It’s not intentional in terms of intent to injure.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Yeah but incidents causing concussions or serious injury are rare right? It’s a contact sport with powerful athletes going full speed.
Why not just make it non contact. Most sportspeople end up with injuries post career from their sporting career.

"More than 40 per cent of known concussions of AFL players were sustained in marking contests during the 2023 season, according to revealing AFL figures that break down how players were concussed."

 

[HugeJohnson]

It does seem a bit nonsensical that we are so harsh with the bumps and high contact but literally raising your knees on to someone's shoulders, in to their back or in to their heads from behind is celebrated and praised by all.
I the long run I think the only way around it will be to ban it or to have the players wear protective gear.

 

[Engimal v3]

"More than 40 per cent of known concussions of AFL players were sustained in marking contests during the 2023 season, according to revealing AFL figures that break down how players were concussed."

Do they separate out the marking contest injuries? I imagine a lot of them are caused by hitting the ground hard.

 

[Cmarsh]

It does seem a bit nonsensical that we are so harsh with the bumps and high contact but literally raising your knees on to someone's shoulders, in to their back or in to their heads from behind is celebrated and praised by all.
I the long run I think the only way around it will be to ban it or to have the players wear protective gear.

You're effectivly saying ban the spectacular high mark, footy's greatest feature. Is that what we want?

 

[HugeJohnson]

You're effectivly saying ban the spectacular high mark, footy's greatest feature. Is that what we want?

That's actually not what I'm saying at all, of course I don't want it banned. But the AFL don't seem to know what they want.