“Is the fabric of the game at risk?”: MRO Michael Christian's passionate response

Gerard Whateley concluded his lengthy chat with MRO Michael Christian with one key question: “Is the fabric of the game at risk?”

It comes off the back of initial three-game suspensions handed out to Charlie Cameron and Toby Bedford, both of which caused a public outcry.

Even the AFL Players Association felt compelled to release a statement saying their constituents were confused by what they could and could not do in a tackle.

Christian, however, emphatically denied suggestions that the fabric of the game was being damaged.

“No, it’s not,” Christian told SEN’s AFL Nation.

“At the risk of repeating myself, we’ve had 18,508 tackles this year and seven suspensions.

“Occasionally it’s wrong. What players as a general rule have done, the players have been exceptional in exercising a duty of care to their opposition in the cut and thrust of a tackle.

“I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying we’re not demanding a lot of the players, but for the betterment of the game, for the longevity of the game, for the ability of players and parents to feel like player safety is absolutely premium here, I make no excuses for that. I think that’s where we’ve got to be.

“And yes, there’s the odd one. The last outcry I reckon was 10 years ago. There’s the odd one that people don’t think is careless. I personally think given the high vulnerability of (Cameron and Bedford) and the force exerted in both situations that it did fall into the careless category, so I sanctioned them, which was supported by the Tribunal.

“At the base of everything – no. The fabric of the game is not under threat and so many players are doing the right thing.

“We need to be strong with these types of incidents to ensure that players and the media and the football public understand that they’re just not acceptable in the game.”

Bedford and Cameron are both free to play this weekend due to the AFL Appeals Board’s call to overturn the bans on legal grounds.

Watch the full extended chat with MRO Michael Christian on the SEN YouTube page