Motlop tackle on Howard

[meher baba]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/911769/matc ... hawk-cited

Sure, he's a scumbag Blues player, but I can't help felling a little sorry for Motlop. He was a 180 cm man trying to tackle a nearly 200 cm man to the ground and prevent him from handballing. It's difficult to see what else he was supposed to do other than stand back and say "away you go Dougal!"

But, of course, this type of tackle is dangerous and can result in concussion or worse.

The root cause of the problem IMO is the change in interpretation of the holding the ball rule that seemed to begin in the era of GA jnr. It wasn't always the case that a player was allowed to stand still in the tackle and pivot around in more than one direction before finally handballing to a colleague. This is far more prior opportunity than players are granted when they try to pick up a ball from the ground. I saw one instance in the Melbourne-Richmond game last night where the Dees player seemed to be allowed to stand for more than 5 seconds until his colleague got close enough to receive a handpass. That's not AFL, that's rugby!

And it's what compels their opponents to seek to pin their arms in tackles. The rule should go back to being that, as long as you had prior opportunity, it's holding the ball as soon as you are tackled, regardless of whether or not your arms are free. Otherwise, how can players be blamed for seeking to pin their opponents' arms?

[Otiman]

I thought it was one of the weaker tackles resulting in suspension. Also thought Howard leant into it a bit. At least he didn't go limp like Neale.

[cwrcyn]

Penalise the action not the outcome. That should be the mantra from the MRO from this point forward.

A sling tackle is a sling tackle. If you want it out of the game, then penalise every single one of them. When that happens, they will be eradicated from the game, which will be a good thing.
Pity the MRO hasn't displayed the same attitude toward head high bumps. It had better get onto it really fast, or the AFL will have another class action against them pretty soon.

Over the past two decades the participation rates in AFL football have plummeted. Parents are reluctant to have their kids play a game where it's okay to line up a guy from 20 metres away and shirt front him...well... not really okay, but a 2 week penalty for something that can cause permanent brain injury does not fill them with any confidence that there is enough of a deterrent to ensure it won't happen to their child.

Sure enough, we'll hear the usual moronic rantings like "It's a man's game"...or " it's not basketball, you know", usually spouted by ex players and members of the public who have, and probably still would, gain immense pleasure in inflicting permanent brain on another human being.

Football is a really physical tough game demanding enormous courage even without the sling tackles and the head high hits.

If a single players becomes a quadriplegic in an incident in an AFL game., there will be close to zero participation in the game from that point forward.

Protect the players and protect the game!

[Dis Believer]

I think the elephant in the room is how on earth did we not even receive a free kick for something that was deemed worthy of a suspension!!

Howard protested as much at the time, and was clearly peeved and asked the umpire (who was a mere couple of metres away) how it was not a dangerous tackle and free kick!

[Banger9798]

I thought there was nothing in it

[saynta]

Penalise the action not the outcome. That should be the mantra from the MRO from this point forward.

A sling tackle is a sling tackle. If you want it out of the game, then penalise every single one of them. When that happens, they will be eradicated from the game, which will be a good thing.
Pity the MRO hasn't displayed the same attitude toward head high bumps. It had better get onto it really fast, or the AFL will have another class action against them pretty soon.

Over the past two decades the participation rates in AFL football have plummeted. Parents are reluctant to have their kids play a game where it's okay to line up a guy from 20 metres away and shirt front him...well... not really okay, but a 2 week penalty for something that can cause permanent brain injury does not fill them with any confidence that there is enough of a deterrent to ensure it won't happen to their child.

Sure enough, we'll hear the usual moronic rantings like "It's a man's game"...or " it's not basketball, you know", usually spouted by ex players and members of the public who have, and probably still would, gain immense pleasure in inflicting permanent brain on another human being.

Football is a really physical tough game demanding enormous courage even without the sling tackles and the head high hits.

If a single players becomes a quadriplegic in an incident in an AFL game., there will be close to zero participation in the game from that point forward.

Protect the players and protect the game!

My daughter, who is a keen saints supporter told me the other day that she is not going to allow her son to play aussie rules football. I don't blame her.

[CURLY]

No free kick

Just another clear free missed.

[B.M]

Not even a dangerous tackle

Howard purposely hit his head on the ground trying to draw a free kick

Good tackle

[meher baba]

Meanwhile Jye Caldwell sneakily punches Daicos in the gut and gets away with a slap on the wrist. Very bad look for the AFL IMO, but clearly a sop to the ageing former players brigade who think the game is going soft.

It seems like intention no longer matters in the disciplinary process, only impact. Rather weird IMO.

[SuperDuper]

Not even a dangerous tackle

Howard purposely hit his head on the ground trying to draw a free kick

Good tackle

well that is just parroting what the commentators said (was it BT??) but I think it is bulls***.
How would you know if he did it on purpose?? I have no idea what Howard was thinking but to me, his head hit the ground.
The tackle had exactly the same motion as many others that have resulted in suspension... with Motlop using his full body weight in a secondary motion (after initial tackle) to sling Howard to the ground

Having said that... I think it was more a free kick than a suspension

[ace]

I thought there was nothing in it

Keep trying you may have another thought in a few weeks time.

[D.B.Cooper]

It is totally out of control.

How do you tackle a 190cm, 90kg powerful athlete who is trying to break free or dispose of the ball and manage to put him down whilst resting his head on the grass like an infant on a pillow.

I agree with the really dangerous dual action sling tackles being outlawed, but what Cordy did as highlighted on OTC or Motlop to be suspended for should not be reportable.

The issue I believe is all clubs have Sambo, BJJ, Judo or grappling coaches and use a modified sacrifice throw or side foot sweep technique to get their opponents off balance, particularly if the opponent is bigger like Howard and Motlop. This is how effectively a player uses his legs to take the opponent off balance. Any one who has done BBJ would know the helpless feeling once you are thrown in one of these moves.

Look at Motlops legs wrap on Howard and taking him off balance.
How would you outlaw this?
Now its pot luck IMO.

[ace]

Meanwhile Jye Caldwell sneakily punches Daicos in the gut and gets away with a slap on the wrist. Very bad look for the AFL IMO, but clearly a sop to the ageing former players brigade who think the game is going soft.

It seems like intention no longer matters in the disciplinary process, only impact. Rather weird IMO.

Anyone who punches a Collingwood player in the gut deserves to be applauded.

[Templar]

It is totally out of control.

How do you tackle a 190cm, 90kg powerful athlete who is trying to break free or dispose of the ball and manage to put him down whilst resting his head on the grass like an infant on a pillow.

I agree with the really dangerous dual action sling tackles being outlawed, but what Cordy did as highlighted on OTC or Motlop to be suspended for should not be reportable.

The issue I believe is all clubs have Sambo, BJJ, Judo or grappling coaches and use a modified sacrifice throw or side foot sweep technique to get their opponents off balance, particularly if the opponent is bigger like Howard and Motlop. This is how effectively a player uses his legs to take the opponent off balance. Any one who has done BBJ would know the helpless feeling once you are thrown in one of these moves.

Look at Motlops legs wrap on Howard and taking him off balance.
How would you outlaw this?
Now its pot luck IMO.

The sling has come about because umpires started giving some players half an hour to do a 360 and beyond to hand pass the ball out. Degoey did a 450 degree spin and then disposed of the ball on Tuesday. All while being held. Once upon a time it would have been a free kick to the tackler.

The tackler is in a quandary "If I don't get him to ground he will eventually dispose of the ball"

Back in the day in the same scenario the tackler knew "I caught him with the ball, my free" and eased off to take his kick.

But we have got to the point where instead of blowing the whistle when someone is caught umpires now wait and wait to see what happens.

On top of this the umpires add another delay so they csn do their melodramatic "BALL!!!!" "YES!!!!: dance routine for the crowd.

If tackles are not rewarded then players must tackle harder.

Back in the day you only needed to grab the player in possession of the ball for an instant free kick.

These days umpires let the person holding.the ball try to wrestle it out or spin around etc

That was never allowed in the VFL.

And this is how sling tackles became prevalent.