Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the umpires’ interpretation of prior opportunity is contributing to the spate of injuries and suspensions from dangerous tackles, calling for more clarity from the AFL.
His comments came as Western Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore was ruled out of close friend Marcus Bontempelli’s 200th game, against Hawthorn next week, after being concussed in a clash with star Fremantle midfielder Andrew Brayshaw in the closing stages of Friday night’s match.
Brayshaw has a nervous wait to learn if he will be cited by the match review officer for rough conduct and possibly sent straight to the tribunal facing a minimum three-game ban.
While Hardwick welcomed the memo sent to clubs by the AFL explaining what constituted a dangerous tackle, he said players, coaches and umpires could do more to reduce the risk of injury.
Damien Hardwick says players, coaches and umpires all have a role to play in reducing the number of dangerous tackles.Credit: AFL Photos
Though ultimate responsibility rested with players, Hardwick said coaches contributed by asking players to take on the tackle, and umpires are letting play go on.
“It’s like a bigger conversation needs to be had because the reality is with the prior opportunity rule and as coaches we teach our players to take on the tackle and the umpire’s holding their whistle because of a fear of creating a stoppage,” Hardwick said.
“It’s like there’s a combination of factors that we need to sit down and figure out, if that makes sense.
“The players absolutely have got a responsibility to look after the head when they tackle, but there’s other factors at play.
“One, coaching for us, and I think also the administration from the AFL with regards to holding the whistle, I think, needs to be a little bit clarified also.
“We don’t want players getting hurt, but we want to make sure we understand the players have got a really, really tough job to do.”
There is sympathy for players, who are taught to pin the arms in tackles to prevent their opponent from disposing of the ball but that action is one of the factors that constitutes rough conduct if the ball-carrier is brought to ground.
If umpires stop play earlier, it may minimise the need for players to complete the tackle, thereby reducing the risk of injury, but would also lead to more stoppages, which can lead to congestion and slow play.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs confirmed Liberatore entered concussion protocols on Friday night, but Jason Johannisen was not concussed from his head knock.
Brayshaw, who had turned side on, made contact with his hip to the oncoming Liberatore’s head as the pair and Michael Walter attempted to win a ground ball late in the Dogs’ victory over the Dockers.
Brayshaw, fourth in last year’s Brownlow count, is in strife if match review officer Michael Christian deems his conduct to be unreasonable in the circumstances.
A grading of careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, given Liberatore was concussed, would send Brayshaw directly to the tribunal with a minimum suspension of three matches.
