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Sorry Jack, not a Brownlow hopeful or playing for a media darling so three weeks it is
Nor does he play for a big club.
I thought the big clubs were the media darlings.
I don't think the tribunal will give Higgins much leeway in terms of the action, so the Saints are going to have to rely on the good person defence. I read that "Higgins has been active and vocal about many issues including climate and environmental issues, animal welfare, female empowerment, refugees and Indigenous issues."
Wait, sorry. That might've been Missy Higgins. I forget which.
Our client, Higgins, has been so hurt by the decision to suspend him for 3 weeks that he’s hardly been outside his room in days because he doesn’t feel that he deserves the sunshine’s rays
I asked Missy Higgins what the Saints’ game plan is and she said something about triangles trying to squeeze through circles?
Chefs kiss
In a surprising turn of events, it was Higgins, rather than Aliir, who was left with a scar after the incident on the weekend.
They can't really argue against severe and high given Aliir was subbed out with concussion. So surely it either stays as 3 or is 0, there can't really be any in between here right?
It's a bit different to the usual late sling, but he still had his arm pinned and fell to the ground and didn't really make any attempt to protect Aliir's which tackling players need to and do do these days. But I guess Aliir made it a bit worse by trying to kick it, but then you can't really tell a guy getting tackled not to try and legally dispose of it... This is a tough one imo.
I do think Higgins deserved a suspension, but 3 seems a bit much for this one. Who knows.
SPIN THAT WHEEL
I personally can't see a reasonable argument for it not being a dangerous tackle, but I'm also not a King's Counsel so
I don't think they can argue it to 0, his tackling action was dangerous, even if Aliir contributed to it being worse (by trying to kick it, which the saints surely can't argue he shouldn't have done).
I don't think the argument will be that Aliir shouldn't have done that, it will be that Higgins can't have predicted that Aliir would try that and that it would result in Aliir's head hitting the ground.
If they can't argue it to 0, it stays at 3 then. The grading (high & severe) is a lock, meaning it's really all of nothing (either a suspendable action or not) with no possibility to downgrade it to 1 or 2 weeks - save for some new bullshit the tribunal might pull which based on recent weeks wouldn't be a total shock.
A player is always going to attempt to avoid conceding a holding the ball call. The presumption seems to be that Alir should have dropped the ball and shielded his head with that arm and that's ridiculous, hence why it's the duty of the tackler to tackle in such a way that the head isn't slammed into the turf.
100%, I don't think Aliir did anything wrong, just trying to think how the Saints will actually try to argue it.
I don't think he has a chance. He got unlucky moreso than malicious intent, but we've seen plenty of incidents like that in the past. Outcome weighs heavily on decision.
I guess they'll probably argue his actions was fine and it was unfortunate timing with Aliir trying to kick. There's definitely a care of duty on the tackler though.
He should not be suspended but he will be. Aliir had an arm free and chose to try and dispose of the ball rather than protect himself and he got hurt. I'm not sure what Higgins is supposed to do here, if you don't pin at least one arm they will dispose of the ball. If you don't use your bodyweight to bring a bigger person to the ground they might shrug you off and dispose of it. He didn't sling Aliir he pinned one arm and brought him to the ground, Aliir fought the tackle and tried to get rid of the ball.
It's a contact sport these accidents will happen and as awful as it is to see a player get hurt, it's unavoidable in our sport.
There was no intent to hurt him. He didn't pin both arms and leave him unable to protect himself. He didn't sling the player, the players own momentum brought them down awkwardly.
Unfortunately St Kilda are an easy target and the AFL will use it to get a low effort win on the board in their marketing efforts to protect players from concussion. If this way a big name player for a big club like Collingwood I don't think he would get suspended.
When I look at suspensions I look at what are we instructing players to do differently in that scenario. Do we want no arms pinned now? Do we want no pulling players to ground now? Do we want players to stop trying to fight tackles and dispose of the ball? This was two players doing their roles in a contact sport that has resulted in an injury. Play on for mine.
How is David Zita reacting to this news?
"Can't I go a single day without dickheads tweeting me about Schnitz?"
"Football player tries to kick the ball" isn't the unforeseeable random action that many seem to think it is.
It is when you're vertical
Seems to be we're the only club getting given max penalties ATM, I wonder why that is...
Yeh, I can't believe Peter Wright played for us at the start of the year. What a goose.
Its easy to make an example out of a club like us
Hopefully the 3 games sticks (but who knows). Discussions about the degree to which Aliir contributed to the danger by (a) attempting to kick the ball, and (b) he's a big bloke and gravity is not his friend is and should be irrelevant IMHO. You can't penalise a player for being tall (or small), in the same way that you can't make allowances for being a 'good bloke'. There has to be a system of 'deidentification' where outcome, size, popularity, community standing, hairstyle, coffee choice is completely irrelevant. Higgins pinned Aliir's arm - 3 games.
Just don't look up Paddy Ryder's suspension two years ago...
Or Nic Nat or Tom Barass just last week...
Size yea but aliir pushes off the ground and creates a lot of the momentum himself, especially when it comes to tipping his head past horizontal
What are you on about? Its 100% relevant. Higgins pulls Allir down towards the ground and Allir kicks up at the ball which throws himself over. Its not even a subjective call, just look at the vision. The entire "sling" is provided by Allir.
Except I can think of at least two instances off the top of my head where eagles players were penalised for being too big.
I dunno. I do think the sport should ask more of the ball carrier to protect themselves, which should result in less concussions and more holding the ball calls, probably a better outcome?