The AFL has debated incorporating a red card system into the game on multiple occasions and has often decided that the idea would cause more problems than it would solve. However, the clear lack of mid-game consequences during a game for acts of deliberate, careless, or even targeted acts of player misconduct has only seen an increase in on-field incidents.
Taking for example this weekends match where Richmond player Tom Lynch grew more visibly frustrated as the game went on which eventually concluded with an alleged swinging strike on Adelaide Crows Jordan Butts. With no card system in place, the most that a player can be penalised for something like this mid-game is a free kick and potentially a 50-metre penalty. But when you have violence like this on-field and there are no consequences mid-game then of course violence can escalate and we need to put in better protection for players on the field.
We do fine players for these actions post game and we often see them receive a temporary match ban, many of these fines are fairly trivial though for players on higher salaries and whilst a match ban is a good threat to players post-game it doesn’t do much to protect players mid-game to deter violence. Is it time for the AFL to adopt a mid-game punishment system for these acts against players?
Accidents of course do happen, and a tackle intended to be harmless can go south and do more damage. However, when you have players who actively and frequently engage in skirmishes and start spot fights to harm players, a card system feels critical. Aussie Rules is a heated game and tempers can flare, but a deterrent to prevent fights needs to exist to protect the players on the field.
Honestly, if someone is swinging arms at quarter time and running over to the opposition to spark a fight is it really sensible to see them return 5-minutes later and expect everything to be fine? Nearly every other sport has on-field consequences for deliberately harmful and neglectful behaviour, why should the AFL be an outlier. Did you know that even less aggressive sports like cricket has a red card system for player misconduct?
I’m not going to sit here and act like an expert on this matter. Perhaps the AFL is right and a card system does cause more issues than solutions, and even if they did incorporate a system how do you dictate a suitable punishment for certain actions?
All I know is, if a bloke is throwing haymakers then he shouldn’t be on the field.
