Glen AtwellAFL bumps Brodie Holland for six!
September 11th 2006 10:35
No-one wants to sound like a broken record, but the AFL has opened a can of inconsistent worms.
Let’s begin with a conversation I had with a passionate Collingwood supporter last night:
MissX: I think we rattled the Dogs in the 1st
SportTalk: Yeh that Holland bump was so premeditated. He’ll get 3 weeks.
MissX: Yeah, remember u said Didak would get 6?
SportTalk: He only got off bcoz the AFL wanted a Vic team to win the flag.
SportTalk: Now u are out, they will steamroll Holland.
Miss X: whatever.
Now, an extract from Sport Talk on 29 August:
“…Magpie Alan Didak knocked Carlton player Heath Scotland unconscious in the middle of the MCG, yet the AFL match review panel deemed he had no case to answer for…”
“…This decision is the worst-ever made by the troubled panel, which was originally commissioned to inject consistency into the AFL tribunal system…”
It seems as though the judicial arm of the AFL took the advice of Sport Talk to heart and turned from toothless tiger to evil executioner almost overnight.
Well, almost.
Today, Collingwood’s Brodie Holland was offered an amazing five-week suspension for his bone-jarring bump on Bulldog Brent Montgomery.
It would have been three had Holland’s previous bad record not been taken into account.
The match review panel assessed the incident as intentional conduct, high impact, in play and high contact - which equates to a base points tally of 425 or a four-match ban.
But because Holland has served a total of five matches in suspensions in the past three years, his tally rose to 595 points and with another 96.88 residual points added on from another prior in the past 12 months, Holland's tally rose to a massive 691.88 points - or nearly a seven-match suspension.
Boy oh boy! Where does one begin?
With the fact West Coast Eagle Daniel Chick was deemed to have no case to answer for his spine-chilling bump on Swan Nick Malceski?
Didak knocked his victim unconscious. Montgomery, minutes after the Holland bump, kicked the Bulldog’s opening goal.
Didak escaped suspension, yet Holland, if Collingwood decide to contest the charge and fail, will miss a quarter of the 2007 season.
Just what is going on?
Holland’s bump was premeditated, vicious and crude - but worth five weeks? It wasn’t even worth four.
Montgomery was unhurt and despite a mental haze, had a considerable impact on the outcome of the game.
The Magpies should rigorously contest the Holland penalty, even if it means six weeks instead of five.
Didak deserved a week, Holland deserved three. Can’t the AFL match review panel find a common sense reality between soft and severe?
Let’s finish with some food for thought.
Aaron Davey branded a field umpire ‘White C**t’ during a heated outburst on Friday night football, yet escaped report.
Holland lays an illegal bump and misses at least five weeks of next season.
Fair call?
Let’s begin with a conversation I had with a passionate Collingwood supporter last night:
MissX: I think we rattled the Dogs in the 1st
SportTalk: Yeh that Holland bump was so premeditated. He’ll get 3 weeks.
MissX: Yeah, remember u said Didak would get 6?
SportTalk: He only got off bcoz the AFL wanted a Vic team to win the flag.
SportTalk: Now u are out, they will steamroll Holland.
Miss X: whatever.
Now, an extract from Sport Talk on 29 August:
“…Magpie Alan Didak knocked Carlton player Heath Scotland unconscious in the middle of the MCG, yet the AFL match review panel deemed he had no case to answer for…”
“…This decision is the worst-ever made by the troubled panel, which was originally commissioned to inject consistency into the AFL tribunal system…”
It seems as though the judicial arm of the AFL took the advice of Sport Talk to heart and turned from toothless tiger to evil executioner almost overnight.
Well, almost.
Today, Collingwood’s Brodie Holland was offered an amazing five-week suspension for his bone-jarring bump on Bulldog Brent Montgomery.
It would have been three had Holland’s previous bad record not been taken into account.
The match review panel assessed the incident as intentional conduct, high impact, in play and high contact - which equates to a base points tally of 425 or a four-match ban.
But because Holland has served a total of five matches in suspensions in the past three years, his tally rose to 595 points and with another 96.88 residual points added on from another prior in the past 12 months, Holland's tally rose to a massive 691.88 points - or nearly a seven-match suspension.
Boy oh boy! Where does one begin?
With the fact West Coast Eagle Daniel Chick was deemed to have no case to answer for his spine-chilling bump on Swan Nick Malceski?
Didak knocked his victim unconscious. Montgomery, minutes after the Holland bump, kicked the Bulldog’s opening goal.
Didak escaped suspension, yet Holland, if Collingwood decide to contest the charge and fail, will miss a quarter of the 2007 season.
Just what is going on?
Holland’s bump was premeditated, vicious and crude - but worth five weeks? It wasn’t even worth four.
Montgomery was unhurt and despite a mental haze, had a considerable impact on the outcome of the game.
The Magpies should rigorously contest the Holland penalty, even if it means six weeks instead of five.
Didak deserved a week, Holland deserved three. Can’t the AFL match review panel find a common sense reality between soft and severe?
Let’s finish with some food for thought.
Aaron Davey branded a field umpire ‘White C**t’ during a heated outburst on Friday night football, yet escaped report.
Holland lays an illegal bump and misses at least five weeks of next season.
Fair call?
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Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
i agree that he came off the line. but the difference between the holland bump and didak's bump was not five weeks difference. no way.
interesing that you are not opposed to racial abuse in the AFL.
i think abusing someone on a racial basis cuts far deeper than a solid bump.
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
But this was between player-umpire not player-player.
If James Hird can be fined $10,000 for making a comment about an umpire's decision making accuracy on The Footy Show - shouldn't Davey be disciplined for racial abuse towards an umpire?
Can you see the inconsistency?
Under AFL Rule 30:
30.1 Prohibited Conduct
No person subject to these Rules shall act towards or speak to any other person in a manner, or engage in any other conduct which threatens, disparages, vilifies or insults another person ("the person vilified") on the basis of that person's race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
A $20,000 fine can be dealt to a first time offender.
I agree that mediation and education are key, but racial abuse is against the rules (and common law) and any such incidents should be harshly dealt with.
Comment by Mel
What a joke!! Consider this: Brodie Hollands six match ban was the most imposed on a player for 2 years (since Byron Pickett was done for rough conduct a couple of pre seasons ago). In the past two seasons there have been many incidents that I would have deemed worse than Brodies- spear tackling, squirrel gripping and numerous strikes.
When you also consider Alan Didaks bump which wasn't really that different to Hollands, well not different enough to warrant a 6 match suspension, the inconsistencies of the tribunal are once again bought to the fore.
Maybe Holland copped the weeks that in hindsight they thought they should have given to Didak?
Players and club officials must have been scratching their heads- Didak and Chick's charges thrown out, Holland six weeks?
The problem with the tribunal is that unlike a court of law you are unable to use precedent. But lets face it- over the years the tribunal has made so many crap decisions that if they allowed precedents then nobody would ever serve a suspension again.
The new tribunal system was supposed to improve on the old inconsistent farcical system- but yet no avail.
No wonder so many fans like myself are beginning to become disillusioned with the tribunal system and the AFL in general.
The pies just announced they will appeal the six match ban. Lets hope some common sense prevails.
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
By the time finals roll around, no player, club or supporter should be mystified by AFL Match Review Panel.
By September, we should all have a general idea as to what offence carries what penalty.
For Didak to get 0 and Holland to get 6 for seemingly similar incidents is a knockout blow for a troubled system.
Holland came off the line, but Scotland was knocked out - Montgomery went on to have a crucial impact on the game.
Comment by Stanley
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
and in true magpie fashion the supporters turned on their own, knocked each other out, abused eddie everywhere and vandalised the lexus centre!
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
how u reckon the doggies will go this weekend against my team the eagles, they have a pretty good record at subiaco
cheers
tony
Comment by Stanley
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
very emotional ending with smithy being chaired from the field, he is an out and out champion.
it's amazing though, i still can't see the eagles beating the swans, anywhere in australia. the swans don't play the run-from-behind type of game and seem to now have a mental edge over the west coasters.
i'm tipping a swans v west coast granny with swans tight winners (sounds like a post from september 05)
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
melbourne's last shining light in 2006.
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
Sport Talk
if this trend continues, when the MCG's lease on the Grand Final runs out in 2020 - I'm tipping the AFL will be sharing it around the country.
go the swans - at least south melbourne can smile - i can't help but barrack for a side and the south melbourne connection is my only justification.
...sad.
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
It took a man like Dutchy to finally put him in his place.