Now, firstly let it be made clear. I don’t have Jack TRENGOVE or Patrick DANGERFIELD in my SC team, so there are no hidden agendas here. But THREE WEEKS FOR THAT???? Are you serious? A young guy (who, even though it is irrelevant, is clearly a ball player) lays the perfect tackle on his opponent, pinning his arm and throwing him to the ground in a manner taught to player’s right through their career, from the moment they are permitted to tackle in junior footy. The balls spills free, he completes the tackle taking DANGERFIELD to the ground, where his head collides with the turf, knocking him out for a short time. And for that he gets three weeks? That has to be some kind of joke.
There are hundreds of those tackles laid in every game of footy around Australia every weekend that result in no report. The simple fact that DANGERFIELD’s head hits the turf with enough force to knock him out means the tackler gets three weeks? Ridiculous, and it sets a very dangerous precedent (not that the AFL ever cared about precedents!). Do we now start reporting players whose twisting tackle unfortunately results in the player being tackled suffering a serious leg or knee injury? Does that same crazy “duty of care” notion not apply equally to them? And similarly if you are perched in front of the full forward on the lead and he leaps up to contest the mark, slamming his knee into the middle of your back resulting in you sustaining a serious back injury, should that player not also be reported for not exercising “due care”? This rubbish has gone too far. Appeal it Demons, and appeal it hard.
Secondly (and again, I don’t have Ed CURNOW or Leigh MONTAGNA in my SC team but I do support the Saints) , I take issue with this incident also. CURNOW seems to get injured in a tackle – yes. Montagna (another ball player, but irrelevant again) runs in to contest the stoppage, which occurs right where CURNOW is. On the way to the stoppage they collide – the slightest of contact made, intentionally, most likely. There are no trainers immediately with CURNOW, he is jogging off of his own volition and within a few metres of the contest, which is ongoing. He goes off, gets strapped, and COMES BACK ON. Clearly, the medicos at Carlton were not overly concerned about the severity of his injury, yet suddenly the opposition players are meant to be – even before he has been examined, whilst he is still on the field? What is this game coming to?
And as for all the bleeding heart media and supporters labeling Montagna a “weak dog” and the like, I don’t remember seeing a similar reaction when a pack of Brisbane Lions players led by Mal Michael set upon an injured Nick Riewoldt several years ago. No, Nick was labeled as weak and a sook for not “taking it like a man”. Funny how attitudes change – or is it just because the jumpers change? Similarly, I didn’t hear the outrage when Jack RIEWOLDT punched Tayte PEARS injured hand in a game last year – yet Steven BAKER was the devil incarnate for having a crack at Steve JOHNSON’s supposedly injured hand. Very strange.
I understand I may be in the minority and am prepared to take that, but surely CONSISTENCY of thought, opinion and resultant punishment isn’t too much to ask for?