HANDS up if you are annoyed with hearing the same tired old line that "football's gone soft" every time a tribunal decision at AFL level goes against public opinion or, in most cases, someone's team.

Clearly the people who trot out this line fall into two categories:

1. They have never watched AFL football.

2. They equate toughness with cheap shots, shirtfronts or whatever else was allowed to go on in the past when player safety and eliminating violence was not even considered and those who dished out the "cheap shots" were considered the "hard men" of football.

The AFL needs to be recognised for its stance to ensure the game still retains the core essence of a contact game while making it safer for participants.

There have been a fair few rule changes introduced to football at all levels that have got it right when it comes to player safety:

1. Players with their heads over the ball can't be bumped front on (clearly to avoid the potential of a serious spinal, neck or head injury).

2. Limiting the run up for ruckman at centre bounces (to eliminate posterior cruciate ligament injuries that ruckmen were suffering, which was, in some cases, career ending).

3. 'Shirtfronting' or bumping off the ball in situations where a player would not reasonably expect contact (is a reasonable protection of players).

4. Deeming the head sacrosanct is penalised on-field (and when appropriate off-field via the tribunal).

5. Penalising the sling or excessive tackle which caused the Jack Trengrove suspension (If you can divorce yourself from the contentious nature of that decision, the principle to protect players who are caught in a vulnerable position in a tackle from having their head or shoulder driven into the ground with excessive force has to be right. In children's football, the sling tackle is illegal and rightfully so).

6. I should mention the de-registration policy, implemented in Victoria community football (another example of trying to stamp out habitual offenders when it comes to suspensions. Players who reach or exceed 16 weeks are automatically de-registered. They do then have one right of appeal, but if they re-offend that's it. It is a great way of ridding the game of players who simply play football to inflict injury on others).

So don't give me the "good old days" or "footy’s soft" line; I won't buy it.

Go and watch AFL football live. Get right down on ground level and see and hear the ferocity with which the players tackle and bump each other.

Today's AFL player is bigger, faster and stronger than ever before, not to mention more skilful. Skill comes into it when you have to lay a tackle or avoid one.

In 2000 the average team tackle count  in the AFL was 32 per game, it was 69 in 2010. In fact every year since 2005 the tackle count has increased.

This statistic will only increase as AFL football places more and more emphasis on defensive pressure. With the forward press and stoppages, regularly we see in excess of 20 players around a small area - so players not only lay tackles, they need to absorb them.

Anyone who has played the game understands the inherent risk of a contact sport, but the players do expect the rules of the game to provide a level of protection from unreasonable or excessive contact.

Make no mistake it is even more critical to provide as safe as possible playing environment at junior football level, without losing the gradual build up to the contact aspect of the game.

At all levels football remains a contact sport which takes courage to play. We should be proud of the progress we have made in making the game safe and ensuring rules apply appropriate penalties both on the field and off.

In reality, if you take all the emotion away from particular decisions you at least need to recognise we are better to err on the side of player safety.

So don't live under the misconception that safety means "going soft".