Comments on: AFL is on the money with its Buddy ban

By: Cathy Beitz

Cathy Beitz — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:24:53 +0000

A perfect argument. Thanks for the clarity.

By: Richard Evans

Richard Evans — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:14:59 +0000

how stupid can Demetrio the CEO of AFL get! When referring to Franklin’s lost appeal he says he has “Sympathy for Buddy Franklin” How is that for undermining the appeals Tribunal and and putting tongue in cheek about the Head High Rule.

By: Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:24:30 +0000

Adam, no comment on the pros and cons of the rule. Simply a very big tick for the fluency, logic and simply powerful use of the language. Your second par should be made mandatory for every backpacker/traveeller so that when they’re challenged about our “sissy game of aerial ping-pong” they can simply dip into their money belt and flash a card with that paragraph inscribed on it. Great writing! (Tho’ my 32-year career in newspaper journalism was only a modest but honest one, I DO know great writing when when I see it.) Your whole comment was logical, fluent and rational. But that second par … wow! (P.S. I have absolutely NO grudge or ill feeling towards “Buddy”. He is, to use today’s youth’s word of the (year, decade?) an “awesome” athlete and it’s a pity he made the mistake. But he’ll learn.
One question tho’. How the hell does somebody of his stature not occasionally and ACCIDENTALLY hit a “shorty” like Cousins head high?? Just a thought.

Regards etc

By: j-boy57

j-boy57 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:41:40 +0000

Any other time of year they would have took the week on offer.
Theres a young bloke at West coast who got his jaw broken by
Nick Maxwell that must be scratching his chin .

By: Russell Bancroft

Russell Bancroft — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:27:21 +0000

I disagree with your views re Franklin. I strongly support the rule aimed to protect players’ heads. However, I think it has been wrongly applied in this case. At no stage did Franklin target Ben Cousins’ head. Cousins did not have his head down at any stage, and the bump was perfectly fair in the circumstances. Sure, Franklin may have chosen to takle instead of bump, but football is all about making the ‘right’ choice in a fraction of a second. This is not cricket, where a fast bowler has ample time to decide whether to bowl a bouncer at a tail-ender or pitch the ball up. Franklin had next to no time to make his choice. I have seen the incident involving Nic Maxwell earlier this year and there really is no comparison between the two incidents. Maxwell had time to change direction, and the opposing player had his head down. The Franklin incident is very different.

I also have trouble with your use of the Neil Sachse incident. Sachse stumbled and his head hit the knee of a player coming the other way. There was no ‘tackle’ in the normally understood sense of the word. No practical rule change could have avoided what happened.

By the way; I am a Carlton supporter and the suspension may benefit us, so I have no vested interest in it being overturned.

Russell

By: Heathdon McGregor

Heathdon McGregor — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:12:20 +0000

Adam

Thank you for actually presenting an arguement as to why you believe what you believe rather than throwing insults at those who disagree, although “obese, alcohol-swilling onlookers who most likely lack the fitness to run onto the field, let alone compete in one of the most physically demanding sports on earth.” does you or your arguement no favours.

I disagree because I dont take as true that Buddy had other options. It may appear that way watching the slo-motion replay but as Cousins took him on and encouraged contact Buddy was unable to move his arm quickly enough to tackle, and couldn’t evade. Why he would want to evade I am not sure as that would enable his opponent to escape as though Buddy was not there.

It is a different game, I hold no grudges to the fans of this game but it is not the same game it was ten years ago, some changes for good and some not so good. I refer to Dermott Brereton and his analogy of the under 10s football his son plays. In the under 10s you cannot tackle so the only way to dispossess your opponent was to bump or slap the ball from their hands. Now the only option to dispossess your opponent is to slap the ball out of their hands. That sir is basketball. Not the same game.

“is AFL a game that rewards the courageous and fearless, or those who use physical stature and unawareness of a victim to gain an advantage over their opponent?”

Just wondering how Buddy fits into the second part of that sentence? Was he doing that? I would have thought Cousins maybe was using Buddy’s need to miss his head to draw a free kick but I dont believe that was his intention.

Where is the duty of care on the victim? I believe this has come from Blake Caracella’s injury where he recklessly slid into a pack and ran into a knee.

By: Julien Marr

Julien Marr — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:56:36 +0000

Great article. The game is pretty tough, fast and exciting to watch.