The MRO raised eyebrows on Sunday night, referring Adelaide midfielder David Mackay directly to the Tribunal for his high bump on St Kilda’s Hunter Clark.
The hit left Clark with a broken jaw, but MRO Michael Christian was unable to classify the incident, leaving it for the Tribunal to decide.
Kane Cornes wonders where the line is between protecting players and overwriting the fabric of the game.
“My question is, what’s he charged with?” Cornes asked on SEN Breakfast.
“He goes to the Tribunal tonight and they say how do you plead? He hasn’t been charged with anything. It’s confusing.
“How far do we go in eradicating things we love about this game? You said it was alarmist nonsense when I said you’re going to start taking the high knee to the jaw out and accidental contact out of the game, this is my fear. This is where we’re going.
“I saw it as two players attacking the footy and everything we love about the game and the result is unfortunate … but I’m concerned we’re losing the things we love about the game.
“Now we’re asking players to slow down in a split second when the footy is there to be won, I just think we’re making it impossible.”
Garry Lyon agrees, saying Mackay was contesting the ball and therefore had the right to approach the contest as he did.
“I’ve watched it over and over. For me, game on. Play on,” Lyon said.
“When the ball is in dispute like that, there will be times when players need to slow up, we as a broader footy community and media need to acknowledge that, I think in this instance the ball is still there to be won.
“You can’t say don’t go fast when the ball is in dispute.”
Tim Watson wonders why the MRO was unable to even grade the incident, adding that if Mackay’s action was indeed outside the league’s rules then it would need to result in a big penalty.
“Was this a cop out by the MRO? On that match review panel is Steve Hocking who is the representative of the AFL. He has to tick anything that happens off or on. He represents the game,” Watson said.
“What they said yesterday is they don’t know where this sits. They are unsure. So now they’re sending it to the Tribunal and asking them to adjudicate whether this bump is inside the rules of the game.
“If somebody breaks their jaw and it’s deemed to be outside the laws of the game and what’s acceptable … then that’s not a two or three week penalty, that’s got to be a six or eight week penalty.”
Clark is expected to miss six to eight weeks with his broken jaw.