GOLD Coast coach Guy McKenna will speak to the AFL umpires’ coach about what he perceives as roughhouse tactics used to curtail Gary Ablett.
McKenna will seek clarity from Hayden Kennedy on Wednesday afternoon on what Ablett’s opponents can and can’t do to limit the champion midfielder.
Bulldogs tagger Liam Picken got under Ablett's skin last Sunday with his close checking, leading the dual Brownlow medallist to lash out with an elbow and get caught up in some push-and-shove.
Ablett voiced his disapproval to the umpires, taking particular exception to the Bulldogs' tactic of sending a second and third player to face him at stoppages and block his run at the ball.
Now McKenna says he will take the matter further.
Gold Coast no longer relies solely on Ablett
"He (Ablett) expects to have a fair opportunity to go and contest the football and if that's unfair that should be umpired accordingly, so that's all I'm going to say," McKenna said.
"I think the rules state that if you turn your eye on the ball and come back to bump someone before a stoppage, I always thought that was a free kick.
"That's what I need clarified. Because if it's not, that's fine, I'll ask our blokes to do it too. But last time I looked, I'm pretty sure it's a free kick."
McKenna said he had compiled a series of clips to present Kennedy.
Ablett was awarded five free kicks on Sunday, but was blocked constantly and dragged away from contests on a number of occasions.
"I don't want to stand here bleating about Gary, but he just wants a fair and even chance to attack the contest. When he gets angry, clearly that hasn't happened, and so I want to bring it to someone's attention," McKenna said.
"If other clubs want to double team him and triple team him, if it's within the rules, good luck, but if it's not, they should be umpired."
The Suns coach has dared opponents to employ similar tactics against his champion midfielder in the future.
He expects Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson to speak with Brendan McCartney after the Bulldogs' relative success against Ablett at the weekend.
McKenna has given his young team a gentle reminder that while it's great to stick up for a teammate, they also have to do it within the rules.
Jaeger O'Meara conceded a free kick for a strong off-the-ball bump to protect Ablett, while forwards Tom Lynch and Sam Day also threw their weight around to protect Ablett.
"Those boys are going out of their way to let a tagger know ’we're not going to help you have a good day’ which I think is fantastic, but clearly there's a line there," he said.
"As I said to the group, there's a few that sailed close to the wind on the weekend, so there's other ways to do that fairly and squarely. That's what I'd encourage.
"I think that's the great maturity in our group. I thought our boys really stood up to that challenge."
