Should Big AFL Players Go Easy on Their Smaller Opponents?

Aussie Rules Football is one of the hardest rough-and-tumble sports in the world.

But a controversial decision handed down by the AFL tribunal—suspending West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui for a tackle on Port Adelaide’s Karl Amon—has some wondering if it’ll stay that way.

During the past weekend’s clash with Port, Naitanui tackled Amon into the turf, and was later awarded a one-match suspension by match review officer Michael Christian.

Though Amon was given a free kick for a push in the back during the game, a medical report said he suffered a delayed concussion, causing Christian to rule Naitanui’s tackle as "careless, medium impact and high contact," according to the ABC.

The Eagles took the suspension to the tribunal, where Naitanui argued he was "attempting to roll and to move my body weight to the side, not into him," as a means of minimising the tackle’s impact.

Not only did the tribunal uphold the suspension, they suggested Naitanui had a duty of care, considering he is about 30kg heavier than Amon. (Naitanui stands at 2.01m; Amon is 1.81m in height.)

It’s that last part that now has many footy fans and experts questioning the decision and wondering if larger-in-stature footy players are now going to be expected to pull back on smaller opponents. (Rucks are usually the tallest on the team and are specifically there to win the ball at all costs.)

There’s a possibility this ruling indicates the future direction of the AFL, where unprotected players of different sizes find themselves going head to head. You only need to look to the NFL—where brain damage following repeated blunt impact is wreaking havoc on players later in life—to see the worst-case scenario in action.

If you’re struggling to figure out why & how Nic Naitanui got suspended read this: https://t.co/OaE6SN63gi

— Clint Thomas (@ClintLThomas) May 10, 2018

Naitanui said, after the ruling, he would not change his approach to the game, insisting his tackle of Amon had “no malice in it”.

"It was just a tackle I guess, and that's part of our game. It's been part of our game since day one."

Photo: AFL (West Coast Eagles & Port Adelaide FC) & iStock.com/pialhovik