St Kilda ahead Dan Butler has grow to be the most recent participant to be suspended for a harmful deal with, with the Match Review Officer punishing his defensive act on Nick Blakey, which led to the Swans star being subbed out.
Butler on Friday evening was supplied a one-game ban by the MRO, along with his tough conduct cost assessed as careless conduct, medium affect and excessive contact.
It’s broadly anticipated the Saints will problem the suspension on the AFL Tribunal.
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Butler produced a run-down deal with on Blakey throughout the third quarter of Thursday evening’s match between Sydney and St Kilda on the SCG, just for a free kick to be paid in opposition to Butler for a harmful deal with. Butler was heard arguing with the umpire, claiming “I didn’t sling him” after the free kick was paid.
Blakey’s head, nevertheless, made contact with the turf on account of the deal with.
While Blakey acquired up rapidly to take his free kick then stayed out on the bottom for a number of minutes, the Swans star was subbed out of the sport due to a head damage evaluation.
The one-week ban didn’t sit effectively with former Melbourne nice Garry Lyon who believes the best choice now could be to easily not deal with.
“What is he supposed to do? He’s got momentum, he tried to let go (of Blakey),” Lyon stated on Fox Footy.
“When you chase behind with that level of momentum, physics tells ya where they are going – that’s not someone trying to knock someone out, that’s just physics.
“I don’t agree with it (the ban).
“I don’t know what else he can do.
“It’s a raffle! We’re still trying to work it out.
“This isn’t one where you go and say we’ll put the flag in the ground here and go and hand in my accreditation if this doesn’t get overturned, but I just reckon it’s pretty hard for Dan Butler in this instance to do anything else I think.
“In the end, you’re going to say don’t tackle from behind.”
Crucially, coach John Longmire confirmed post-game that Blakey had handed the HIA.
Longmire stated as a result of Blakey was subbed out as a result of the HIA would take quarter-hour throughout a vital a part of the match, plus a toe damage he had coming into the sport was inflicting some discomfort.
“It was a pretty important part of the game and 15 minutes is a good slab of time. With his toe being sore we decided to make a change,” Longmire stated.
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph defined post-game why the Saints ahead would seemingly be in hassle.
“Michael Christian asks himself two questions: Is Nick Blakey in a vulnerable position? And was he driven into the ground with excessive force? Blakey’s definitely in a vulnerable position, he’s dodged Philippou and Crouch, he’s not expecting the tackle. He gets his arms pinned,” he stated on Fox Footy.
“Now is Blakey driven with excessive force? Well, the MRO rules here, and we’ll read them out – they state a player is in a vulnerable position if they have their arms pinned with little opportunity to protect themselves. So Butler has Blakey cold.
“The AFL is effectively asked him to do something impossible – tackle him but don’t drive them to ground. Don’t even let his momentum pitch forward. I understand how hard that is.
“…the Tribunal has just overturned a couple of decisions but one of them was a Rory Laird tackle where he slowed the force of a tackle on an opponent in Lachie Neale, and the other one was Adam Cerra, sort of falling back on Tom Hickey. I think the AFL would say that they are different tackles.”
Hawthorn nice Jason Dunstall Dunstall led a refrain of concern round if the deal with resulted in a suspension, claiming it was basically precisely what a participant ought to do in Butler’s state of affairs.
“I’d be really concerned with where the game’s going if he gets rubbed out for that tackle, I’d be horrified,” Dunstall stated on Fox Footy.
“I mean, he steps inside, he turns side on so he’s not going to keep his balance, you’re a little bloke tackling a bloke who’s 6’5”. I used to be watching that passage of play and I believed Dan Butler was good the way in which he stayed within the hunt, as a result of it seemed like he was out and he simply saved in there, in there, in there. And finally, he makes the deal with, momentum takes him to floor. He’s acquired no possibility right here. I don’t know.
“I think if you ask him to do anything other than what he did, it’s impossible. He’s a small bloke, you think he’s going to just hold him when they’re running at that pace? I don’t get what the options are there, other than not tackling. And I would have thought if we say don’t tackle, well, then we may as well give up the game.”
North Melbourne champion David King advised it was “almost the perfect tackle”, believing Blakey’s left arm was out.
St Kilda Hall of Famer Leigh Montagna added: “What vulnerable position was Blakey in? He had the footy in the middle of a football ground!”
Melbourne premiership participant Daisy Pearce stated Blakey’s concussion would imply Butler’s deal with will virtually actually be scrutinised carefully by the MRO.
“The precedent this year is if you tackle a player to ground and their head hits the ground, regardless of outcome, it has the potential to cause injury,” Pearce advised Channel 7.
“We empathise with Butler, but on precedent this year he’s in trouble, particularly if Blakey has been subbed out with concussion.”
Speaking on Fox Footy at three-quarter-time, Montagna stated: “Unfortunately for Blakey he’s in some trouble with the HIA.
“For me, I can’t see the dangerous element in this tackle, this is momentum so I don’t know if Butler has any other option to try and stop the momentum.
“You can actually see really closely, Blakey’s arm is free so Dan Butler doesn’t actually have his arms pinned. So that might work in his favour and the momentum has to be considered because when you’re chasing from behind there’s not too many options.”
Swans legend Jude Bolton stated it might be disappointing if Butler was suspended.
“I still think it’s a footy action,” he advised Channel 7. “It’s one of the toughest tackles to execute when you’re running from behind and I think he’s actually guided him down.
“There’s going to be accidents in football. I don’t think it’s cut and dry like that.”
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon stated he wasn’t nervous concerning the deal with however understood why the AFL was taking a cautious method to defending the top.
“I didn’t assess it. Everyone has come to me on it (but) we’re unwavering in the process in and outside the club so that can go through the channels and they (MRO) can make an assessment,” Lyon stated.
“Clearly that part of the game is challenging for everyone. I haven’t had a look at it, I was looking at Warner exploding out of stoppages.
“It’s a delicate (issue), isn’t it. I’ve got a daughter that got knocked out playing netball with a clash of heads.
“She’s out for three weeks and I’m a bit ‘get moving’. I’m a bit flippant with it but I think to be cautious and go through the protocols is the right thing.”
Lyon stated he hadn’t spoken to Butler concerning the incident.
— with NCA NewsWire
Originally revealed as Saint turns into newest participant to cop ban, regardless of ‘almost perfect tackle’
Source: www.news.com.au
