Changes for Qualifying final V The Hawks.

[Jewels]

But at this time of the year the AFL protects the game before the head. I can't see that they will let one of the game's marquee players sit on the sidelines when there are gates and television ratings to consider. Mind you we benefitted from this change in interpretation in 1996 and again in 2005 so we shouldn't complain. It should be interesting to hear the fumbling explanation however.

Completely agree, it's the explaination. I'm looking forward too.

[Triple B]

Who cares what he looks like. He does a great job IMHO.

Totally agree...

[DeadlyAkkuret]

No word on Franklin?

[baskin]

No word on Franklin?

Can accept one week.

[erica]

No word on Franklin?

Franklin's charge was graded negligent conduct, medium impact,high contact - 225 demerit points down to 168.75 & 1 game with early plea

[hot potato]

Do the Hawks have a knack of screwing it up when it matters most .

[MadCanuck]

So much for my little theory.

[SimonH]

Best realistic case scenario for him unless the fix was in. In trying to find a path for him to get off, some people (including journalists) seemed to be completely reinterpreting the English language to define 'low impact' as 'anything that doesn't result in a bone break or fracture'.

Inevitably, he will accept (unless the Hawks hierarchy have rocks in their heads) and equally inevitably, Hawks supporters and Buddy apologists in their thousands will laud his selflessness in submitting to an unjust system, in the interest of serving his team and the game as a whole. It turns out that he'll have something in common with James Hird!

As pointed out on afl.com.au though, the Hawks have won 11 of their last 12 games without Buddy, by an average of 56 points (the one loss predictably being a 2-point loss to Geelong). Sure, I'd rather have him out than in, but it hardly elevates us to favouritism or anything.

[hot potato]

Weren't a lot of those against lowly teams

- - - Updated - - -

This funny post was on another blog
By SPOOK:
'Let?s hope that the reporting of Buddy on Friday night will be recognised for what it is ? a ruthless ambush of a great player and a huge conspiracy between the umpires and the AFL with the sole aim of bringing Buddy down.

The Australian Crime Commission and the UN had previously advised Hawthorn that head high bumping is not specifically banned. Hawthorn has a letter (that we cannot find) where the AFL says that Buddy is allowed to bump shorter players in the head. Clarko also saw Demetriou on the phone to Geischen on Friday night and Clarko (despite hearing only little snippets of Demetriou?s side of the conversation) is certain that he overheard a plot to rub out Buddy for the entire finals series.

We want a chance to tell the Hawthorn side of the story on Buddy?s bump.

Anybody who disagrees with our view on Buddy?s innocence needs to be mercilessly vilified.

Buddy is 99% innocent of the charges ? his shoulder may be guilty but this is only 1% of his body.

The truth about Buddy?s bump will come out in the end and the club will be in a good place when this happens.

In summary, Buddy?s actions on the night were heroic.'

[MadCanuck]

I laughed.

[The Big Cat]

He was very lucky not to go for 3 down to 2 as I can't see how the bump was not reckless when the ball had already left. Patrick Smith goes further. He said it was a deliberate act to bump Mal and therefore should have attracted 3 demerit points which would have meant 4 down to three.

[Ludwig]

Buddy out is a really big plus for us, as it lets Ted take Roughy and Grundy can go to Hale. Buddy running Reg and Ted around the midfield is a big problem. We've been seriously outmatched by their forward line in recent games. Now I think its the Swans that have the forward line that's going to be hard to match up on.

[Bloodthirsty]

A one week suspension is still corrupt, but we'll take it. It was the predictable outcome - can't do nothing but don't wanna do too much.

I like our chances this week.

If we win, we're a red-hot chance to go back-to-back (with the week off, recouperation and returning players, home prelim). I mean RED-HOT chance.
If we lose, we'll limp out of the race eventually. We don't have the personnel to make it through 4 finals this year.

The boys need to go ballistic for this game. BALLISTIC.

[SimonH]

He was very lucky not to go for 3 down to 2 as I can't see how the bump was not reckless when the ball had already left. Patrick Smith goes further. He said it was a deliberate act to bump Mal and therefore should have attracted 3 demerit points which would have meant 4 down to three.

The great unknown in the 'negligent/reckless/intentional' grading, which receives surprisingly little attention, is the big distinction: are you grading the decision to engage in the conduct on that scale, or are you grading the particular impact that actually occurred on that scale? I can only guess that it must be the latter, i.e. the decision to try to bump Mal was obviously deliberate, but where Franklin was negligent (or reckless, depending on where you stand) was in collecting him late and high. If it were otherwise, then most reports should realistically be graded 'deliberate' except where, e.g., the player's actions were a reflex, on the basis that 'you deliberately performed those actions'. That ain't the reality of how the MRP usually works.

[liz]

If it were otherwise, then most reports should realistically be graded 'deliberate' except where, e.g., the player's actions were a reflex, on the basis that 'you deliberately performed those actions'. That ain't the reality of how the MRP usually works.

I reckon you can distinguish between contact that occurs when a player is reasonably trying to contest the ball, or influence a contest (ie an off the ball but still legal shepherd) and contact where there was "no point". I'm not sure exactly what Buddy was trying to achieve in this instance. For me that makes it reckless rather than negligent though. Deliberate should apply to most behind the play incidents and incidious, pointless acts like dropping the knees forceably onto a player in a deadball situation.