Chris Scott fumes over ruck contest high knee following Mark Blicavs, Lloyd Meek clash, Geelong vs Hawthorn, video
Geelong coach Chris Scott has urged the AFL to come down harder on players leading with a high knee in ruck contests after seeing one of his stars cop a shot in the ribs.
Cats star Mark Blicavs was floored in the first half after copping a knee to the ribs from Hawthorn big man Lloyd Meek during a centre bounce.
Blicavs received a free kick for the contact, but was unable to take it as he was tended to by the Cats’ medical staff. He was eventually escorted off the ground and returned shortly afterwards.
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It is the second time a Cats big man has been felled by an opponent’s high knee in a ruck contest after first-choice ruckman Rhys Stanley was injured by Carlton’s Tom De Koning in a similar incident in round two.
De Koning was eventually suspended for the incident, with the AFL sending a memo to all 18 clubs about the knee-up technique.
“You can’t do it. The AFL sent out a memo that couldn’t have been clearer, saying not only is that a free kick, that it is reportable. You cannot do it. It has to be taken out of the game,” Scott said after Geelong’s 82-point win at the MCG.
“I’ve got a slightly different view on what constitutes justice in the AFL world, I’ve got no dog in the fight around the penalty to the opposition player. We want the free kick, I don’t want to see the guy suspended. That doesn’t help us anyway.
“Just stop doing it. That should be the message from the AFL; the disappointing thing is they sent out a memo two weeks ago saying they couldn’t do it.”
Scott’s view echoed that of Melbourne champion Garry Lyon.
“I hated this bit of vision,” Lyon told Fox Footy’s On The Couch when shown the clash between Meek and Blicavs.
“That’s reportable for mine. I know there’s a situation earlier in the season where Geelong’s Stanley got one of these off (Tom) De Koning. He was cited, got a fine, then they argued it was a football action and they let him off.
“That muddies the water, but that to me … you can’t just be stationary on the ground and chuck your knee in. There’s all sorts of organs there that are (vulnerable).
“If this is a natural footy action, we’re in all sorts of trouble. He’s 115kg this bloke and you don’t get up off the ground and you go diving in with your knee like that.”
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