The night the AFL killed the hip-and-shoulder bump

WC says:

08:06am | 28/08/09

AFL is just showing its true colours as a children’s game. Add don’t bump people to this list of childish rules.

1.  Give me the ball, he didn’t have a chance to pass before you tackled him - thats hardly fair.
2.  OK guys, he made a fair catch lets all let him have a kick - yes I know he dropped it when he hit the ground but he caught it for a second there.

Watch Rugby if you want contact, soccer if you want people running around for 90 minutes.  AFL is unecessary.

ANDIKA says:

08:09am | 28/08/09

AFL is going soft. It’s supposed to be a full contact sport isn’t.
You see better ‘hits’ in netball. Harden up AFL.

Tim says:

09:06am | 28/08/09

Don’t be ridiculous, the bump was head high, that’s what the problem was. Maybe not worth 2 weeks, perhaps 1, but if he was to get off then the message being sent out would of been that its ok to bump players head high.

Ben says:

09:20am | 28/08/09

The AFL is foolish if it thinks it actions enhance the perception of the game among parents of the next generation of supporters.
While Australian Rules has always had it’s rougher edges that have worried parents, the hip and shoulder is one of the games more attractive features - no free swinging ‘clothes lining’ or vertical tackling. At the junior levels the application of the hip and shoulder has always been heavily regulated -  junior coaches always emphasising the skill of applying a bump that advantaged your team without incurring a free kick.
By throwing the proverbial baby out with what is now sustainably labelled grey water we end up with a sanitised game that moves the focus of the inevitable contact between players into grey areas such as elbowing and putting players down behind play.

RC says:

09:49am | 28/08/09

A question for Tim: What other “reasonable” act in any game results in a suspension?  If an act is “reasonable” it is ipso facto within the rules of the game.  The word “reasonable” has been inserted into the laws of the game relating only to the bump, so we can only surmise from this that the rule makers want the bump to go, if not ALL head high contact would result in a suspension.  If this was the case, then the individual who punched Buddy in the face (with eough force to make his tooth bleed) would be looking at weeks on the sidelines as well.  This disgraceful law will only result in more injuries, as players clash heads during tackles rather than protecting themselves with a hip and shoulder.  Shameful.

gibbo says:

09:55am | 28/08/09

The AFL has got it wrong. This rule will change again , wait and see. Clearly the penalty is ridiculous - 2weeks??? - it should have been a reprimand

Peter Warrington says:

10:02am | 28/08/09

as a tiger fan, it was a free-kick at worst.

to Franklin, for Cusso holding the ball.

Whining Hawks says:

10:03am | 28/08/09

I didn’t hear Hawthorn complain about the tribunal when StKilda’s Zac Dawson got 2 weeks for a shepherd. Maybe it’s time for Buddy to start “lining up” guys his own size? That would help avoid head high contact.

Paul says:

10:10am | 28/08/09

Just another reason why why AFL is rubbish, these players get paid top dollar to football oops sorry touch football.  RIP AFL…....

jonathan says:

10:27am | 28/08/09

I think football was the real winner on the night.

Dissapointed says:

10:33am | 28/08/09

The AFL picks and chooses it’s enemies. But this weekend all AFL fans will be the losers when we’ll miss the excitement of Buddy fighting for a finals Berth. When Buddy lost his tooth he did not even attract a free kick. When he acts reasonable within the rules of the game he loses his chance to play both this weekend and one round next year. But the AFL has lost more - the confidence of its supporters - what a shame.

stephen says:

10:45am | 28/08/09

Throw out the bump ; bring on en pointe.

Dave says:

11:33am | 28/08/09

he bumped him in the head. if you shoulder charged someone in the head in rugby league you’d be suspended. If your gonna hip and shoulder, don’t do it to the head.

Carl Palmer says:

11:56am | 28/08/09

Julie, you must be a Hawthorn supporter. You missed one important point – contact was made to the head and it was deemed rough conduct. The rule clearly states that you can’t make contact above the shoulders and it doesn’t excuse Buddy just because he is 7 foot and Ben is 5 foot tall.

You also have some heavy hitters in the Hawthorn administration which will have not doubt stirred up the issue via the media. It also sounds like they need a heavy hitting QC.

I wonder if this would have been a big issue if it occurred at the beginning of the season. Finals on the line for the Hawks.

As for the bump to be eliminated – I don’t think so given that Leigh Mathews has just joined the AFL rules committee. You will recall that in 1985 Leigh Matthews infamously king hit Neville Bruns from Geelong and broke his jaw. Although he wasn’t reported at the time, the VFL investigated the incident, found Matthews to be responsible and deregistered him for four weeks. Matthews then faced a criminal charge of assault, to which he pleaded guilty, and was fined $1,000.

Whilst he has mellowed a bit, I don’t think the hip and shoulder will be eliminated.

Jake the Muss says:

12:23pm | 28/08/09

The AFL (and I do mean the League as ‘AFL’ is not a sport and calling it AFL gives way too much power to the AFL administration) is taking Aussie Rules and ruining everything that is great about it.  It IS meant to be a tough sport.  You are meant to run into people.  Injuries WILL happen.  Players go onto the ground knowing that you run a risk.

It really is amazing to go back and watch some of the things that used to happen back in the 90’s let alone 80’s, 70’s 60’s etc.  It’s almost a completely different sport.

I’m not saying bring back the king hit or the clothes line.  Those things were wrong and should be penalised.  But there is no point turning Aussie Rules into Soccer (or Association Football for the more snooty fans).  It seems that the AFL administration is so scared of some apparent surge in soccer popularity that they will do anything to project a ‘child friendly’ atmosphere.

Of course, keep the junior leagues safe, but don’t destroy the game, market it to it’s niche.  You can’t out soccer soccer.

Thankfully, the district leagues still somewhat have a classic understanding of the game, but who knows how long that will last.

Jim Henderson says:

12:52pm | 28/08/09

Spirit of the game? What about accepting the umpire’s decision, like cricket . . . .

Go USA says:

01:11pm | 28/08/09

The easiest way for the AFL to clean this all up is to make players wear helmets and padding, make the ground rectangular with lines drawn across it at, say, 10 metre intervals, make the play stop after every “catch” whether delivered by hand or foot - with a limit of around 4 stops per team’s advance without sufficient distance gained (pick a figure). By then the AFL will have reached the level of boredom required to merge with the NFL.

Tim says:

02:01pm | 28/08/09

Yeah fair point RC, but I’m not sure a head high bump is a reasonable act - that I think is where the confusion is. The act of a bump is reasonable, just not to the head. If you watch the video it clearly looks reckless and the fact the may have not had an option to tackle in time, still doesn’t justify the head high bump.

Jono says:

02:19pm | 28/08/09

To “Whining Hawks”, so Buddy should start “Lining Up” blokes his own size.  Are you serious?  So big players shouldn’t bump small players.  Ok, lets make this literal.  Small rovers shouldnt chase down loping ruckmen.  Every player out there has a trait that gives them an advantage, height, speed, strength etc.  Every player out there is also aware of the risks associated with a contact sport.  The AFL should stop ruining our game by making constant frivolous rule changes everytime someone needs a bandaid.  It only serves to confuse and perplex everyone including the hundreds of thousands of us who pay our hard earned every week to watch a physical game of football, not a weekly tribunal circus!

Deano says:

02:20pm | 28/08/09

Massive over-reaction to the penalty handed our by the tribunal.  Buddy clearly hit Cousins in the head, and has to accept responsibility for the consequences of his misjudgement.  The bump is stll alive, so long as it is executed within the rules of the game ie. body to body.  Let’s not forget that Cousins was concussed by the incident and Richmond were deprived of the use of their best player for the rest of the game .

iansand says:

02:25pm | 28/08/09

Where is Barry Hall when you need him?  AFL is more a group hug than a sport.

Julie Tullberg says:

04:54pm | 28/08/09

Hi Carl, Thanks for your comments. I see you point about the high contact. My argument is based on the fact that when you have a bigger, taller athlete, contact of this kind is often unavoidable when travelling at speed. Buddy made contact with Cousins’s head because he is a taller athlete. On a smaller athlete, Cousins would have been totally fine. It’s Buddy’s size that was his crime. It was not pre-meditated and therefore, his actions were genuinely in the spirit of the laws. I think Buddy was unlucky for copping a ban when he meant no harm. Accidental knocks can be penalised.

Joel says:

06:41pm | 28/08/09

Hey Guys Sign up to this Petition to Bring Back the Bump

http://bringbackthebump.com/

Martin says:

07:34pm | 28/08/09

The bump was clearly high and reckless. If Buddy had laid a tackle he would not be in this mess, but instead he tried to put Cousins down. Should have been a free kick to Cousins and no more.

Michael says:

08:44pm | 28/08/09

Remove the bump and bring in the skirts.

John Blackman says:

10:56am | 07/09/09

See Brendon Goddard’s heavy hit on Daisy Thomas? That’s how you perform a bump Julie. Take heed.