Yeah, poor Lachie. Hopefully with the benefit of time and counselling he will be able to look back at that Richmond game and forget about the life-threatening glancing blow he barely noticed and remember the game-winning play he was responsible for.
Where you draw the line on what is a suspension and what is merely a fine? Wrestling a bloke is clearly a fine, and properly punching a bloke is clearly a suspension, but what do you do about the annoying little taps, scrags and punches that go on during a game of footy?
I like watching the best players play football, and I reckon unless you are a repeat offender or what you did could cause an actual injury to a player, then I’d rather that player be allowed to play the following week. The AFL’s MRP decided that it didn’t think players should be rubbed out either.
But if AFL fans have decided that it wants justice/vengeance in the form of suspensions for players who deal out the heinous crime of winding a bloke, then it’s fair enough for the AFL to make it a suspension again. I just hope those complaining are not the same people who loudly pronounce the game has gone soft.
Personally, I reckon the MRP should get creative with their punishments: for example, you either lose 1/22 of your salary ($14,000 for an average player), or you can keep the money and miss a game.
