Tim Lane isn't wrong per se. But in addition to using a very limited data set (as shane points out), he hasn't really offered a solution.
Footy has always been a complex sport with numerous grey areas, players are fitter and stronger than ever before, so players are getting to more contests and are better at tackling and hitting harder, there's hundreds of coaches looking for an edge in exploiting the rules, research on cumulative head injuries puts all contact sports at risk if they don't adapt, and entertainment options are so diverse and prevalent that regional sports that become dull are likely to be under serious threat from a participation and viewership perspective unless they adapt.
The AFL has clumsily tried to navigate those choppy waters, and have doubtless made missteps. Tim's solution a slight shift in umpiring emphasis, which has basically been the AFL's policy for a decade now.
It's a 13 paragraph version of get off my lawn.
