Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

[bulldogtragic]

I banged on this a bit last year, but I don't get why punching an opponent in the guts off the direct play is now fair game. Commentators, today the genius Lethal Matthews was saying a $1,000 fine was sufficient for striking a player in the abdomen/ribs/guts who fell to the ground in pain.

I really don't understand why the AFL is allowing this, and why the media seem to think it's ok. It's virtually a small tax that cashed up players can choose to pay if they want too. Is striking no longer striking, or does striking have to be to the head? In the sanitised, politically correct pitch the AEFL is making to soccer parents about how our game is safe and won't get hurt why are they allowing this? What should kids think?

More so, if our players or the club have some extra cash, should they be making use of tactic to wind or take players out at key contests? All the club or they need to do is put a $1,000 in the AFL slush fund after the game/win. Frankly, in a really close game towards the end of the game, if our players can get away with it why shouldn't they do it? It's now no longer morally, ethically problematic as its AFL sanctioned, and it's not a suspendable act as its AFL (review panel) sanctioned.

[Bornadog]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

BT you know the AFL is weak as piss.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

BT you know the AFL is weak as piss.

I do. So we get into another prelim, it's less than a goal. There's a crucial stoppage, their best midfielder looks to be in an umpires blind spot. Why not strike them as hard as possible, take them out of the contest, win the game. Claim insufficient force before the GF and if need be do what Sydney did in 1996 and get a Supreme Court injunction to get the tribunal delayed?

Or even in every home and away game? If it's a crucial contest, and a $1,000 fine... Why shouldn't the coaches and club endorse it and instruct it? 4 premiership points or $1,000. It's now legal and within the rules to take a player out for money, why not do it?

[Bornadog]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

I think the AFL should be increasing all the penalties and really hitting hard (no pun intended). Stomach punch, automatic 2 weeks, that will stop it.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

I think the AFL should be increasing all the penalties and really hitting hard (no pun intended). Stomach punch, automatic 2 weeks, that will stop it.

As you say they're weak as piss. So hypothetically, this week against North, it's close near the end. Say 30 seconds. There's a stoppage contest up North's end, Picken can smash Boomer in the ribs and take him out for the remaining 30 seconds without a free seen by the umpires. We secure the win, take the 4 points and take top spot. It only costs 'Marcus' (FFS Tony Shaw, it's been 10 years) $1,000. I think we'd be crazy not to instruct the players to take the shot, it's fair game now and it only costs a $1,000. I'm not saying it fits in my moral compass, but my moral compass has nothing to do with it. Our boys can once again shop early, shop late or shop when they want for a very small fee.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

As you say they're weak as piss. So hypothetically, this week against North, it's close near the end. Say 30 seconds. There's a stoppage contest up North's end, Picken can smash Boomer in the ribs and take him out for the remaining 30 seconds without a free seen by the umpires. We secure the win, take the 4 points and take top spot. It only costs 'Marcus' (FFS Tony Shaw, it's been 10 years) $1,000. I think we'd be crazy not to instruct the players to take the shot, it's fair game now and it only costs a $1,000. I'm not saying it fits in my moral compass, but my moral compass has nothing to do with it. Our boys can once again shop early, shop late or shop when they want for a very small fee.

Love the idea BT but why stop at that little runt Harvey.
We could be snipping all game.
That prick Waite,Quiche Higgins and that shit stain Thomas.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

Love the idea BT but why stop at that little runt Harvey.
We could be snipping all game.
That prick Waite,Quiche Higgins and that shit stain Thomas.

And that's the thing, we could. All we have to do is crowd the contest, busy and block each other, get a third man up to drag the umpires eyes further up at the ruck contest and shop, shop, shop all the main players (like the end of The Godfather Part 1). Take the win, put a few thousand in the AFEL kitty and move to next week. I don't like it at all, not one bit, but that's within the rules now and Hawthorn seem to have several blokes doing it in different ways and getting nominal fines. So if you can't beat them, join them (and then punch & beat them in the ribs or guts).

[Sedat]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

As you say they're weak as piss. So hypothetically, this week against North, it's close near the end. Say 30 seconds. There's a stoppage contest up North's end, Picken can smash Boomer in the ribs and take him out for the remaining 30 seconds without a free seen by the umpires. We secure the win, take the 4 points and take top spot. It only costs 'Marcus' (FFS Tony Shaw, it's been 10 years) $1,000. I think we'd be crazy not to instruct the players to take the shot, it's fair game now and it only costs a $1,000. I'm not saying it fits in my moral compass, but my moral compass has nothing to do with it. Our boys can once again shop early, shop late or shop when they want for a very small fee.

I'd rather see Brad Boyd do it, or even Jesse Stringer.

[Twodogs]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

I do. So we get into another prelim, it's less than a goal. There's a crucial stoppage, their best midfielder looks to be in an umpires blind spot. Why not strike them as hard as possible, take them out of the contest, win the game. Claim insufficient force before the GF and if need be do what Sydney did in 1996 and get a Supreme Court injunction to get the tribunal delayed?

Or even in every home and away game? If it's a crucial contest, and a $1,000 fine... Why shouldn't the coaches and club endorse it and instruct it? 4 premiership points or $1,000. It's now legal and within the rules to take a player out for money, why not do it?

I'd rather see Brad Boyd do it, or even Jesse Stringer.

Which Brad Boyd? We have two now.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

I'd rather see Brad Boyd do it, or even Jesse Stringer.

Not Jesse, we need him too much. Knowing our luck it would be the week the review and tribunal would change everything and hand out 12 weeks like Curley. So maybe Brad could be the guy...

[SonofScray]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

They aren't interested in the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play, only the "look" of it from a brand perspective. The amount of posturing and devious, cowardly play in the game is shameful. No one is prepared to call it out in the media and the AFL won't go near it because they can't be bothered, or don't want to risk any precedents that might see a star player miss out.

Two elements of the system that I think have had a negative impact:

1. Hysteria over the head being sacrosanct: players can be rubbed out / fined for incidental contact in execution of legal skills in the game. It throws the remaining reportable behaviours out of whack, especially when they are remiss to ever label anything intentional. Obviously we want to limit the risk of broken necks, concussions etc, but they haven't achieved this particularly well.

2. Punishment is tied to the presence of an injury to the opposing player. They try to say it doesn't, but it is very often the case. Whether or not I punch someone and break their nose, or attempt to pinch someone and miss, or punch someone who suffers no ill effects shouldn't really matter. Punching someone is not a skill of the game. Both are reportable and should involve suspensions.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

Look how during the big brawl, Port V Geelong, BT is calling strikes cute names like ' jumperies' and giving it all the colourful names of a schoolyard fight. Clearly he loves it. The league will dish out a big fine, but in that sort of situation the commentary should just stop.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

Not Jesse, we need him too much. Knowing our luck it would be the week the review and tribunal would change everything and hand out 12 weeks like Curley. So maybe Brad could be the guy...

Or Jed?

[Testekill]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

It's no coincidence that the first goal in the Hawks game came after Burchill punched Roughead in the guts.

[1eyedog]

Re: Punching players in the ribs/guts is fair game in the modern game.

And that's the thing, we could. All we have to do is crowd the contest, busy and block each other, get a third man up to drag the umpires eyes further up at the ruck contest and shop, shop, shop all the main players (like the end of The Godfather Part 1). Take the win, put a few thousand in the AFEL kitty and move to next week. I don't like it at all, not one bit, but that's within the rules now and Hawthorn seem to have several blokes doing it in different ways and getting nominal fines. So if you can't beat them, join them (and then punch & beat them in the ribs or guts).

Thomas is the one to go after like this. First quarter.