Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew believes AFL gamers are placing themselves prone to harm by flopping without spending a dime kicks in an “unintended consequence” of the league’s crackdown on harmful tackles.
There have been 23 cases of gamers being suspended for harmful tackles by the primary 14 rounds this season, inflicting uproar amongst followers and commentators.
The crackdown has focused tackles that put gamers in possession of the ball in danger, particularly when their heads hit the bottom.
Umpires are sometimes paying free kicks for harmful tackles and Dew stated some gamers are actually attempting to attract the whistle by letting opponents take them to floor simply.
“I saw one maybe three or four weeks ago nearly knock themselves out by flopping down to try and draw a free kick,” Dew informed Fox Footy.
“We’re making it really hard both for the tackler and for the umpires because players are no longer fighting the tackle as much as they used to.
“They know that in the event that they do go to floor and it appears to be like semi-dangerous, they are going to get a free kick.
“One unintended consequence of this (crackdown) is players are pretty smart and they’ll try and milk free kicks in this way now.”
Dew stated the brand new tactic is creating much more confusion for spectators round harmful tackles.
“We’re really aware of what the charter is and the result that we’re trying to protect (players from) injuries, however, there’s a lot of grey at the moment,” he stated.
On Monday, Hawthorn captain James Sicily failed in his attraction towards a three-match ban for the harmful deal with that concussed Brisbane Lions star Hugh McCluggage in spherical 13.
GWS line-breaker Lachie Whitfield accepted his one-match ban for a harmful deal with on Fremantle’s Jordan Clark on the weekend.
Carlton ahead Matthew Cottrell is weighing up whether or not to problem his one-match suspension for Sunday’s harmful deal with on Gold Coast participant Ben Long.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
