Kane Cornes isn’t happy with how holding the ball decisions are being adjudicated in 2024.
According to the rule book, players who have possession of the footy are provided an opportunity to dispose of the ball before an opponent is rewarded for a tackle.
Free kicks can be paid for diving on top of the footy, not making a genuine attempt to dispose of the ball, incorrect disposal and prior opportunity.
Cornes thinks that many players are getting away with not legitimately trying to dispose of the ball in 2024 with the ball often spilling out of contests or being dropped while players are tackled.
He also believes that others are getting away with increased leniency with the prior opportunity rule by ducking into tackles – which he feels should be considered your chance to dispose of the ball.
“I understand the rule, but I don't know if the rule is right,” Cornes said on SEN's Sportsday.
“I still think you need to make a legitimate attempt to dispose of the ball.
“When you've had a level of prior, be that one or two (seconds) or whether that's Darcy Fogarty who picks the ball up and ducks his head into a tackle and then doesn't dispose of the ball (you should be pinged by the umpire)…
“It’s not being paid.”
Cornes picked out several tackles across Round 2 which he felt deserved to be rewarded with holding the ball calls.
He also thinks it’s ludicrous that Geelong laid 75 legitimate tackles in their win over Adelaide but weren’t rewarded for holding the ball with any of those attempts.
“There's a Reilly O'Brien one where he lifts his hands (in the contest and is tackled), to me that's prior (opportunity),” Cornes said.
“If you do not dispose of the ball correctly after you've lifted your hands and it spills out, it should be holding the ball.
“For Geelong, I thought their tackling was enormous. They laid 75 of them. Tell me you can lay 75 legitimate tackles according to Champion Data and get not one holding the ball decision.
“Does that say to you there's something wrong with the rule? To me it does.
“I know that's a sweeping overview, but I saw Bailey Dale get tackled in the Gold Coast game in the goal square. He goes to ground after having prior (opportunity), the ball hits the deck and spills out of his hands in the tackle and the umpire doesn't pay holding the ball.
“I'm going, ‘What is going on with this rule? Am I alone out there?’.
“Holding the ball is an issue and it has been for a long time. But for me over the weekend, it has become harder and harder to get a holding the ball decision.”
