OPPOSING coaches Brad Scott and John Longmire have urged the AFL to re-examine the issue of players intentionally trying to milk free kicks for high contact.
Two free kicks awarded to North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas – and the resultant goals – sparked the controversy during the Kangaroos' 26-point loss to the Sydney Swans on Friday night.
Once in the opening term and again in the second, Thomas lowered his centre of gravity in traffic and was taken high.
Swans players angrily remonstrated with Thomas after the second incident, in which he appeared to initiate contact with opponent Nick Smith, who was behind him at the time.
WATCH: Thomas free angers Swans
Thomas wasn't alone, though. Swans youngster George Hewett also earned a free kick in the first term by taking possession and immediately lunging low and forward to draw high contact from his would-be tackler.
While North Melbourne coach Scott said Thomas hadn't broken any rules and wasn't alone in using the tactic to his advantage, he believed the League needed to act.
"There'll be cowards out there that single out individuals, but every player in the competition tries to do it," he said.
"So until the rules change, the players will keep doing it.
"While they continue to get paid, then players will keep doing it.
"They make the decision to do it, but again they're being incentivised because the free kicks are being paid."
WATCH: Brad Scott's full post-match press conference
Earlier, Longmire echoed Scott's sentiments but tried his best not to get drawn into the argument, or to point the finger at Thomas.
"I think it needs to be looked at," he said.
"What do you do? You just need to look at it.
"I'm not there to tell the decision makers what to do, I'm there to coach a team to play a game of footy, and that's what I'll do."
Five talking points: Sydney Swans v North Melbourne
Longmire said that the issue was frustrating for him as a coach, and revealed the Swans have worked to refine their tackling technique in a bid to combat the practice.
"We try to but it's very hard, it’s a split-second decision," he said.
"It's a very difficult thing to do.
"In the end I didn't have a close look at the replays, [the free kicks] might have been there."
