Here’s one decision the AFL can make that no-one could dissent. At season’s end, it should hold a kind of constitutional convention to overhaul every aspect of the laws of the game and the judicial system that is meant to reinforce them.
This jurisdiction is failing, and it won’t fix itself. Nor will hastily devised patches and plugins work. Everyone is confused – players, coaches, umpires, fans. We’re all Joe Biden.
“Only need to see the reaction from footy fans (most weeks) that the tribunal system throws up too many inconsistent and frankly baffling decisions,” tweeted Swans legend Jude Bolton on Tuesday. “Short of a complete overhaul, there needs to be a solid review at the end of the season to determine what we want the game to look like.”
Toby Bedford was suspended for three games for this tackle on Tim Taranto.Credit: Channel Seven
It began with an intention to insulate the game against concussion. It was laudable and – given the legal implications – financially prudent, but also utopian. The game can be and has been made safer, but it cannot be made foolproof.
Some initiatives have been logical, but others appear knee-jerk, ad hoc and unilateral. Interpretation of rules governing tackling and holding the ball change with........