What would stop players piggy-backing?

[Kent Brockman]

Let's take Friday night's game between Hawks and Geelong. When Isaac Smith goes to have the shot after the siren, is there a rule to stop Mitch Duncan hopping onto the shoulders of Zac Smith and easily deflecting the ball from their height advantage?

 

[D-N-R]

Let's take Friday night's game between Hawks and Geelong. When Isaac Smith goes to have the shot after the siren, is there a rule to stop Mitch Duncan hopping onto the shoulders of Zac Smith and easily deflecting the ball from their height advantage?

15.10.1 When Awarded
A Free Kick shall be awarded against a Player or a Team where the field Umpire is of the opinion that:
(c) a Player has lifted a Player or climbed on the shoulders of a Player from the same Team. This Free Kick shall be taken by a Player from the opposing Team where the infringement occurred or where the football is at the time of the infringement, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team;

Happened in a Brisbane Bears match many years ago but I don't think it was punished at the time. That might have been the catalyst for the rule, but it may be quite an old one and the umpire just forgot it.

I'm not sure what would happen if a player allowed his team mate to take a speccy on the goal line to prevent a goal. I guess that falls under the category of a player 'climbing on the shoulders of a team mate'. High marks are usually taken over opponents, so a mark over a team mate would look suss.

 

[Kent Brockman]

Happened in a Brisbane Bears match many years ago but I don't think it was punished at the time. That might have been the catalyst for the rule, but it may be quite an old one and the umpire just forgot it.

I'm not sure what would happen if a player allowed his team mate to take a speccy on the goal line to prevent a goal. I guess that falls under the category of a player 'climbing on the shoulders of a team mate'. High marks are usually taken over opponents, so a mark over a team mate would look suss.

Wow, good spot! Here is a video:

 

[Banyo Bloods]

I remembered that live thought it was odd. They then hat a talk through the week and debate and showed up a graphic of a team basically doing a cheerleader pyramid and how they could do that if they wanted to.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

David Parkin suggested lifting like they do in a line-out in rugby union. AFL brought a rule in to make sure it didn't happen.

 

[Andrew Mc]

Wow, good spot! Here is a video:

That video really shows how amateur the game was back then. All those people on the ground and interfering.

 

[TedDougChris]

That video really shows how amateur the game was back then. All those people on the ground and interfering.

And one of the players then inserting a spectator into the fence....

 

[Stopher]

IIRC correctly either David Parkin or Dennis Pagan suggested players giving their own teammate a boost in the air to take a mark well above ground level to combat the new tactic of flooding. I'm pretty sure someone at the time mentioned that it was illegal though so it didn't go much beyond that!