Could the AFL introduce a send-off rule?
A red card? A sin bin? A penalty kick?
A leading AFL journalist believes the league should borrow from rival codes and introduce a penalty kick over a send-off rule as debate was reignited after a fiery Sydney Derby.
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Sydney coach John Longmire flagged the potential for a send-off rule earlier this week, after Swans key defender Tom McCartin was concussed by Callum Brown in the ‘Battle of the Bridge’.
The Swans also lost Harry Cunningham in the first term during their clash against the Bombers earlier in the season.
“There’s no restorative justice within the game,” AFL360 co-host Gerard Whateley pointed out.
“In all other sports, there’s a penalty to be paid by the team that infringes,” Herald Sun Chief Football reporter Mark Robinson said.
“Put a dot 30 metres out from goal and the umpire says, you’ve got a free kick for goal.
“They’re not kicking anyone off the ground, so it’s 22 versus 21.
“Soccer penalty, basketball fouls, NFL, you march them back down the field.
“We don’t have any penalty, we give them a free kick, wow!
“How about we start giving them a goal? See if that changes players behaviour.”
The concept of a red card, like is used in soccer matches, has also been floated.
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“I don’t know where I sit on red cards,” Robinson said.
“Because it’s not a natural part of the sport, it’s something that you implement, it’s a natural part of nearly every other sport so clearly there’s merit behind it,” Whateley replied.
“Because it’s not part of our sport it has that jarring impact.
“The way John Longmire frames it, there’s already medical and MRO staff doing their work, while the ARC has had its moments with score reviews, once a player is concussed and once you quickly establish that it is a reportable offence then in that manner it is possible to work through that in rapid time.
Geelong key forward Tom Hawkins believes the game is headed towards a send-off rule of some capacity.
“I’ve been closed on it, but I think the more and more we see these incidents in game, something may get introduced in the years to come, is probably my gut feel,” he said.
“I don’t know where it stands, send-off rule for a period of time?” he queried.
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On the contrary, Carlton defender Sam Docherty believes the game does not require a send-off rule.
“I’ve got a more closed mind of no, these things are such quick moments in games, to be honest it looks like majority of the ones that happen are complete accidents.
“They don’t mean to happen, it’s a very unfortunate part of our game, we find players are going to be suffering consequences off the back of that.
“But has there really been one that’s been truly from malice in the last five years, I would question to see whether there’s one.I’d prefer it not to happen.”
Should the AFL implement a send-off rule?
Source Agencies
