Bump under scrutiny
The future of the bump is set to be decided over the next month when the AFL conducts its annual review of the tribunal and match review panel.
The future of the bump is set to be decided over the next month when the AFL conducts its annual review of the tribunal and match review panel.The league has written to all 16 clubs, the AFL Players' Association and those involved in the reporting process seeking their thoughts on what changes should be made for the 2007 season.Clubs have been given until November 13 to make their submissions as the league continues to tinker with its new reporting system which was introduced at the start of the 2005 season.But it is the debate over what constitutes a legal bump that is set to cause the most debate with front-on bumps to a player with his head over the ball likely to be banned next year.Other areas up for discussion include whether to retain the "behind play" category in assessing reportable incidents, given such incidents are usually classified more harshly by way of intentional conduct anyway and whether the 25 percent points discount for players who have a clean record over the past five years should be extended to only those players that have a clean record (no suspensions) over the past seven years.And the league has also asked clubs for their thoughts on how the match review panel should classify any reportable incidents involving a player striking another player in the testicles.At the moment such incidents are classified as being to the body, which carries a lesser penalty than a strike considered to be high, but given the potential for serious injury from such an offence the league has asked clubs whether a strike to the groin should be classified in the same way as a blow to the head."At the end of every season we review all our systems including the match review panel and the tribunal system and look at ways we can continue to improve and refine our processes," the AFL's general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson said."The feedback from the clubs and their views on a number of key issues as well as suggestions on improvements to the system will be considered by tribunal review committee."In the AFL's letter to the clubs, the league says it is considering a "specific rule and reportable offence" to protect players with their head over the ball from being bumped front-on, following a submission from the AFL Medical Officers Association.The AFLMOA recently expressed its concern over the potential for serious injury as a result of "front-on impact when a player is over the ball."However even bumps when both players are standing upright will also come under serious review, especially those bumps which result in what this year was ruled by the match review panel as "accidental" contact to the head.Collingwood's Alan Didak and Bulldog Daniel Giansiracusa were both cleared of such incidents in 2006, even though the players they made contact with in Carlton's Heath Scotland and St Kilda's Justin Koschitzke received concussion and a fractured skull respectively.The AFL has asked the clubs and the players' association for their thoughts on a proposal which will no longer allow players to escape punishment for a bump which makes contact to the head of an opposition player, even if such contact was not the player's intention."We have received a proposal that a greater onus should be placed on the aggressor to ensure that the bump is carried out correctly and that no contact to the head occurs," the AFL's letter to the clubs reads."This may be achievable by a guideline or rule which specifies that any bump to an opposition player's head will be deemed to be at least negligent where that player had a legitimate option of (instead) tackling or shepherding with arms out."Another aspect being considered is to whether to increase the points tally assigned to reportable offences arising from such bumps, such as charging and rough conduct to "reflect the fact that these offences are more likely to cause injury."