Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield escaping suspension for his dangerous tackle on Carlton’s Sam Walsh, has left one concussion expert baffled by the AFL’s approach to head trauma.
In the first play of the Cats’ 63-point loss on Friday night, Dangerfield wrapped Walsh up in a tackle, bringing him to ground in what looked to be an innocuous tackle.
However, on second watch, it was revealed that Walsh’s head smacked the turf, with Dangerfield pinning both his arms down and dropping him to the ground.
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He was originally handed a one match ban, with the tackle graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
Match review officer Michael Christian deemed that Dangerfield failed to exercise enough duty of care to the ball carrier.
Patrick Dangerfield’s dangerous tackle on Sam Walsh. Fox Footy
Walsh was uninjured in the tackle and played out the remainder of the match, picking up 33 disposals and kicking a goal.
Geelong petitioned to free Dangerfield at the tribunal on Tuesday night, calling for the charge of rough conduct to be downgraded based on “reasonability”.
Dangerfield defended his act, stating that he felt he was always “in control” bringing Walsh to ground.
The 2022 premiership star eventually had his charge downgraded, after a 40 minute deliberation, meaning he is now free to face Essendon at the MCG on Saturday night.
Now, Dr Alen Pearce, a neuroscientist and leading concussion expert, has slammed the tribunal for sending mixed messages about the importance of head safety, especially considering the amount of forced medical retirements in 2024.
“If they (league and tribunal) are wanting to send a message out that ‘the head is sacrosanct’, or athlete health and wellbeing is their greatest priority, then you can’t tackle someone like that and just get off on some ability of the defence to say it was done at a high level of care,” Pearce said on Wednesday.
“If it was, he (Dangerfield) wouldn’t have pinned his arms. I am no coach, but surely he could have tackled him a little bit lower, not pinned the arms.
“I am not there to criticise the coaching or his technique, and I know the AFL is separate to the tribunal, but, collectively, if the sport is saying, ‘athlete health and wellbeing is our greatest priority’, then we have to show some leadership here and not tolerate these sorts of tackles.”
Angus Brayshaw leaves the field on a stretcher during the 2023 AFL qualifying final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 07, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. AFL Photos via Getty Images
However, Essendon coach Brad Scott, whose side faces the Cats in round 16, has backed the tribunal’s decision to throw out Dangerfield’s suspension.
“The expectation that AFL prosecutors put on that you’ve got to release an arm, I think is unrealistic,” Scott said on Wednesday.
“To my eye live, I thought Danger exercised his duty of care and tried to hold (Sam) Walsh up.”
Scott furthered his argument by supporting Dangerfield’s defence of his tackle on Tuesday night.
“Arms pinned, that’s generally how you tackle, so to expect players to pull (their opponent) back, not let their head hit the ground but release an arm at the same time and hold them with one arm,” he said.
“There’s a lot of expectation on players and I thought Danger explained it pretty well.”
Three AFL players have retired due to concussion and head trauma in 2024 alone.
Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw, Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy and young Bulldog Aiden O’Driscoll all hung up the boots due to concussion and its ongoing affects.