I cant find the thread but a while ago we were all debating the positives and negatives of pushing the boundries of fair play. Some people thought that to get into finals we needed players to go out there and play outside the laws of the game, I forget the exact wording used but it was along those lines. Now have a look at this article, do we still believe this is the way to get into finals.... I dont. Bear in mind that we don't have the calibre of player these teams mentioned do and look at Jacksons suspensions and how they affected us.
Suspensions hit Hawthorn hardest
Bruce Matthews From: Herald Sun September 10, 2010 10:18PM
HAWTHORN has paid a heavy price for encouraging its players to live on the edge of acceptable aggression.
Hawthorn topped the table as the club whose players missed the most games through suspension in the home-and-away season.
Significantly, those suspensions probably contributed to four losses - early in the season and in the run-in to the finals - when key performers Lance Franklin (twice), Cyril Rioli and Campbell Brown missed matches.
And the Hawks head into next season with several players lumping sizeable carry-over demerit points and percentage loadings if they reoffend.
While St Kilda's Steven Baker's nine-game ban for offences against Johnson accounted for most of his club's tally, forward Justin Koschitzke was the only other sinning Saint. And the Saints won all three matches that Kosi missed from a rough conduct penalty early in the season.
Flag favourite Collingwood had minimal disruption, with Travis Cloke (two games) and Leigh Brown (one) the only players to miss through suspension.
The Magpies won both times Cloke was sidelined and lost by three points to Hawthorn when Brown had to sit out Round 22.
Western Bulldogs and Fremantle fared best of the remaining finalists, with no players suspended during the regular season.
Suspensions this year totalled 83 games, up from 64 last season, with rough conduct (28) providing the biggest increase and striking (34) the most costly offence.
Several Hawks, including Franklin, Rioli, Michael Osborne, Chance Bateman and Brent Guerra will carry "live" demerit points into next year.
Geelong lost three times while disrupted by suspension, when Matthew Scarlett, Cameron Mooney (twice), Steve Johnson and James Podsiadly were forced out.
Hawthorn players were suspended for a combined total of 13 games, one more than St Kilda and Richmond.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/suspensions-hit-hawthorn-hardest/story-e6frf9jf-1225917716831
