Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield can already wave goodbye to his hopes of winning another Brownlow medal after his unseemly hit on Adelaide’s Jake Kelly. But if the AFL means what it says about concussion, if it genuinely wants to change player behaviour, a trifling suspension will not do. Dangerfield should be rubbed out for the best part of a month.
In its review of Saturday’s match at Adelaide Oval, the AFL assessed the incident as “careless conduct, severe impact and high contact”. Though Dangerfield might not have intended to knock Kelly into next week, a front-on bump well after an opponent has released the ball renders a head clash not accidental nor incidental, but likely. Dangerfield had eyes not for the ball but for the man. It was an unsightly challenge on a defenceless opponent. It was also one that resulted in significant trauma to the victim, with the Adelaide defender out cold before he hit the ground with a broken nose for good measure.
Comparisons with Ryan Burton’s bump on Shaun Higgins in a 2018 match between Hawthorn and North Melbourne are obvious. Burton’s front-on hit resulted in Higgins suffering concussion and requiring minor facial surgery. The Hawk got off, with the AFL subsequently altering its wording regarding the bump to factor in head clashes as a reasonably foreseeable outcome.
These days, if a player bumps and causes a head injury then he or she should be prepared to face the consequences. The duty of care rests with the bumper. Had Dangerfield flattened Kelly in 2018, he might have escaped punishment. But in 2021, with the code wiser to the long-term effects of concussion, a lengthy suspension is the only way to go. The AFL has already introduced mandatory rest periods for concussion sufferers and medical substitutions. Now it must walk the walk when it comes to penalties.
The difference between Dangerfield and Burton is that at least Higgins was in possession at the time of impact. On Saturday, Kelly had long released the ball by the time Dangerfield barrelled him with a bump that was technically legal, but also late and dangerous. It is not a good look for Dangerfield and it is not a good look for the game.
“My take was when you’ve got two players running full speed at each other, and one player kicks the ball just before contact, then the player should do everything you can not to hurt the other player,” Geelong coach Chris Scott. “Don’t jump off the ground, don’t raise your arms, you can’t tackle him. I don’t think he intended to headbutt him, that’s for sure. To my eye, it looked like he was doing everything he could to protect himself and the other player.”
Scott’s comments are hard to swallow. The reality is there were not two players running at each other, rather Dangerfield at Kelly. This was not a 50-50 ball; the Crows defender was already in possession. Going anywhere near Dangerfield, who had a head full of steam after moments earlier being run down when closing in on goal, was not on Kelly’s agenda. Moreover, the Geelong player appeared to do very little to protect the other player. These things occur at great speed, with decisions made in microseconds, but no matter which way Dangerfield’s treatment of Kelly is viewed, it was an act of recklessness. The game must not tolerate it.
Though Scott’s take on events are not surprising, they are also reflective of a culture of protection that seldom holds the transgressor to account, certainly where intent is involved. Often, even the player left battered and bruised will speak out in defence of his tormentor. Unless it is a clear-cut smack in the chops, à la Barry Hall on Brent Staker, the benefit of the doubt will be given to the offender.
Mostly this is sound logic because, mostly, there is no sinister intent. And the natural conclusion of a sport howling with outrage at every big hit is one that is sanitised beyond recognition. There is no greater fear for those who watch or play than the AFL becoming soft. The bump is already considered by many to be an endangered species; a big whack for Dangerfield would be another nail in its coffin. But now is the time to look beyond sensitivities and say enough is enough when it comes to head trauma.
On Tuesday night, Geelong will point to Dangerfield’s good disciplinary record as reason for a reduced sentence. The tribunal should laugh it out of court. The 2016 Brownlow medalist will do well to take his medicine graciously and use the time off to consider his approach; this is the second time in two games his intensity in the contest has led to a player being knocked out. Richmond supporters are likely still wondering how Dangerfield slipped the noose after his elbow to Nick Vlastuin’s head in last year’s grand final.
This is not about lynching Dangerfield but about an example being made. The tribunal has been presented with a wonderful opportunity. This is where it draws a line in the sand and declares once and for all there is no place in the AFL for acts of recklessness that endanger the head. The good of the game, and the safety of those who play it, is relying on it.
