Gerard Healy calls for Brownlow Medal rule change after Zach Merrett suspension
3 min read
AFL great Gerard Healy has called for a rule change which would see players still able to win a Brownlow Medal even after being suspended during the season.
Healy, who won the Brownlow in 1988, believes players should retain their eligibility as long as they’re suspended for less than three weeks in total that season. Currently, a suspension of any length means players are ruled ineligible for the prestigious award.
The Swans legend’s comments came after Essendon skipper Zach Merrett’s one-match ban for a dangerous tackle was upheld at the tribunal on Tuesday night.
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»I think it would be a disgrace if Zach Merrett lost a potential Brownlow Medal for a tackle gone wrong, » he told SEN’s Sportsday.
« It’s not a dirty game anymore, there’s very few punches thrown … the threshold for what you can get for two weeks … anything two weeks or under you can still win the Brownlow Medal. »
The first four rounds of the season have seen several players hit with bans for dangerous tackles, and Healy said players are currently « incapable of controlling their instincts ».
»Clearly suspensions have not changed behaviour to date, » he said.
« So it’s either ramp up the suspension to a prohibitive degree, or better still, someone come up with a tackling technique to give the tackler some other method to ground the player legally, if one exists, to prevent the head being compromised.
« There are only two solutions for prevention – earlier umpire intervention or coaching a better technique.
« Other than that, there’s the sledgehammer approach, with coaches demanding that no one gets tackled to the ground. A rule change of some sort preventing tackling around the arms, or a more draconian penalty handed out by the MRO.
« If the coaches can’t change behaviour, maybe the tribunal must and that will force the coaches’ hand. »
Merrett said he was « absolutely devastated » at missing the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood through suspension, in what would’ve been his first one as the full-time Essendon skipper.
The 27-year-old’s absence is a major blow for the 4-1 Bombers, with Merrett having averaged 29.6 disposals per game through the first five rounds.
Essendon is not the only team hurt through suspension for the Anzac Day clash, with Collingwood star Taylor Adams also serving a one-match ban after a similarly unsuccessful trip to the tribunal this week.
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