Former Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury would like to see the AFL trial a sin bin in an effort to stamp out vicious head-high hits.
With concerns around the long-term effects of concussion groing stronger and a class action against the AFL underway, Pendlebury says players should be forced to temporarily leave the field if they engage in violent or dangerous behaviour, in an attempt to weed out foul play.
In the AFL’s review of the opening round, Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was hit with a two-match ban and Sydney’s Lance Franklin a one-match ban for rough conduct.
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Crows player Shane McAdam will learn his fate for his nasty hit on Giants youngster Jacob Wehr when match review officer Michael Christian hands down his decision on Monday night.
‘Exactly what we’re trying to stamp out’
Discussing Pickett’s high bump on Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith on Triple M’s Marty Sheargold Show, Pendlebury cited the NRL’s sin bin as an example of a strong deterrent with hefty ramifications.
“Watching the NRL, when that stuff happens, they get sin-binned and I don’t mind that for our game,” he said.
“Say, if Pickett was to get sin-binned, it’s a complete disadvantage. Now you play 17 v 18 for 10-15 minutes.”
Under the league’s current MRO and tribunal processes, reportable offences and their corresponding sanctions are graded on the intention of the conduct, its impact and where it occurred on the body.
Pendlebury says this needs to change to weight more heavily against players who intentionally commit a serious offence.
Pickett in hot water over dangerous hit
“I think for years there’s been a question around ‘are we going to punish the outcome or the action?’,” he said.
“I don’t agree with that. I think it should be the action that gets punished. They are not football actions.
“I think it’s something we need to get rid of from our game but this chat has been going on for five, six years.
“We’re getting there but there’s still room to improve.”
Pendlebury’s comments have added to criticism from football pundits, including North Melbourne great David King.
“The action to go past the footy and execute a bump to the head is a starting point of two weeks. If you knock a player out, it’s elevated from there. I just can’t accept how we’re still saying that’s a one-week suspension, I can’t have that,” he told SEN’s Whateley of Franklin’s suspension.
AFL facing concussion class action lawsuit
“(Pickett and McAdam’s actions) were rugby league-type hits. They are set and drive and drill,” he continued.
“They’ve got no idea what the outcome of those hits are going to be at the start of their move… their decision at the start of that move is to nail the opposition player in the head.
“So how the hell are we at two weeks? If we’re saying, ‘We’re going to do everything we can to protect the head…’ we’ve gone nowhere with this and I am sick of talking about it.”
The AFL is facing a class action by former AFL and AFLW players over the impacts of concussion and the threat of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) because of negligence.
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