There main similarity between Comans and V'landys is conscious effort by both to increase due diligence on the players part. In Comans' case, it was to get players to be more accountable for thuggish behaviour and to think twice before deliberately hurting someone; with V'landys it is to eradicate carelessness and recklessness. With that being said, I was not really attempting to compare the two predicaments but merely highlight that suspensions can be used effectively to eradicate behaviour that compromises player welfare.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but V'landys has never come out and said that he wants to eradicate concussions completely? If he has said that then I think he has obviously made a massive overstatement because there will always be incidental concussions.
mate I agree with your thoughts here... and good points. My post above wasn’t meant to be in opposition to you, more about how some folk have flippantly Mentioned Comans as a “change that had to happen” which changed the game... and likened it to what’s happening now... Primary - Foxsports.
Vlandys indeed hasn’t said he will eradicate concussions. He has said though that player welfare is his primary concern, and he wants players when they retire to be in good health when they leave the game. That’s absolutely honorable for mine. But...
Hes enacted this radical change almost overnight. Without consulting anyone and communicate horribly to the clubs.
Hes stated that it’s not a new rule... which I disagree with... but even if true of means he’s allowed players to be hit in the head for the last 18 months on his watch.
He’s changed multiple rules (aside from the sin bin protocols) overnight.. whether you agree with them, some, none... he’s just done it.
He’s stated “the game is the most exciting its ever been”..... really????
All the while he’s bagged “boring AFL” ad nauseum, stated he “doesn’t want Victorians” coming to NSW (under the guise of COVID restrictions), said regarding expansion into WA is effectively “wasting money on rusted-on AFL states”.
To me - he’s our Donald Trump. Come in proud to “save the day”, done some good things but all gung-ho, full of ego and self-righteousness that (now) overshadow anything good he’s done. And now the people are turning on him.
I’m all for the greater repercussions of severe head high tackles, using send offs where these occur. I have no problem with any of the send offs in magic round - just my view. But...
The sin bin / heavier suspensions for head contact rule is just absurd. Why sin bin “minor”, innocuous, accidental, circumstantial contact which had no effect on the ball carrier. Eg a tacklers arm hitting the ball/arm then deflecting onto the head like McGuire, or A player falling into a defender like Tedesco into Burr..
It only will..
1 - Encourage more diving - seen already (eg Walker / Townsend.
2 - encourage rorting of Hia to get “an 18th man”
3 - cost teams any chance of the win (eg Cowboys vs Roosters)
4 - completely exhaust teams already in other rules designed to “speed up the game”. Some have been down to 11... and if they have little / no bench ...
And primarily ...
5 - tacklers now putting themselves in even more danger by going lower or ducking into a tackle and getting knocked out themselves - eg Jayden Hunt for Dragons on debut vs Sharks.. He lowered his body n ducked to make the hit - trying to avoid anything high and got hit in the head, knocked out cold.
This is my biggest beef, and fear about this stuff. They are sin binning people for minimal contact “one size fits all” style... and so tacklers will be at more risk trying to avoid it than they already are..like Jayden Hunt...
Most concussions happen to the tackler... and in terms of “bad ones” or knockouts, they are by far the most common. Now this rule is only going to make this worse.
That’s not player welfare. That’s only shifting the problem elsewhere. And punishing a team in the process. and ruining the contest.
Annesley has said many daft things lately for mine eg “players have to learn”... and only today with reference to Jake Friend - that players retiring like him have forced the NRL had to come down hard...
Thing is.. when Jake friend was knocked out / concussed in games - he was always the tackler. Boyd Cordner - either the tackler or head hitting the turf... Neither from high tackles..
All the ex players who we sadly see now with brain issues... eg Price, Mortimer, Horsnell, - their “highlight reel” is all when they were tacklers... and playing on.
Geez I’ve gone on a bit here haven’t I??
But while i get that we need to protect players, and also the reputation of the game so mums will let little Johnny play junior league...
Donald Vlandys has just gone rogue in making decisions like a dictator - which serve no purpose in improving player welfare, and do serve to make the game less of a contest, diminish its quality and anger the fans...
I hope he gets impeached.
