‘We don’t want to be disadvantaged’: John Longmire calls for rethink on send-off rule after Lloyd-Nankervis incidentLachlan McKirdy
HeraldSun
July 10, 2023 - 3:29PMJohn Longmire believes the AFL needs to revisit the discussion around the send-off rule following Jake Lloyd’s concussion against Richmond.
Lloyd was hit high by Tigers ruckman Toby Nankervis during the second quarter at the MCG and was immediately subbed out of the game.
Nankervis will face the tribunal on Tuesday for the incident and is facing three weeks on the sidelines.
Swans star Jake Lloyd spent some time on the MCG turf after this contact from Richmond co-captain Toby Nankervis.
The Swans will be without Lloyd for their clash on Thursday against the Bulldogs due to concussion protocols.
“We lost Jake for that game, and for two weeks, and we lost a goal at that particular moment despite it being in play for a minute,” Longmire said.
“He was almost one of our best players on the weekend up until he went off, he had 10 possessions and was going really well.
“We were hit from all sides. We don’t want an advantage, we just don’t want to be disadvantaged when you do nothing wrong.”
The laws of the game currently include the ‘Order off law’ which is applicable to all competitions except the AFL.
That rule gives umpires the ability to “order the player reported from the playing surface for the remainder of the match”.
Longmire admitted that previously he had been against a send-off rule being introduced in the competition.
However, with more scrutiny than ever around head injuries, he felt that it could be another important layer to help stamp high contact out of the game.
“What’s happening in the game now, it’s changing a bit and particularly the past couple of years in regards to HIA assessments,” he said.
“I understand that the sub is there to help mitigate those challenges.
“With HIA going the way it is, and it’s going through the roof, then maybe it’s worth looking at in consideration. What are the outcomes that might be a positive for the game and take it from there?
“I don’t think there’s a clear-cut and dry answer.”
Opponents of the send-off rule believe that the ambiguity around high contact, as well as the potential to escape suspension at the tribunal, means the punishment would be too high a price on the field.
It’s a point Longmire agrees with. However, the Sydney coach feels contact like what happened with Nankervis shows that certain incidents can be dealt with in isolation.
“How you police that I think, that’s a question that has to be answered,” Longmire said.
“You don’t want to be in those 50-50 discussions and have a player rubbed out of a game and go to tribunal and they’re okay.
“They only have to be the really obvious ones, because if you get in that grey area, I think that’s too big a penalty.
“I’m sure there are smarter people than I who can work through the mechanics of it and assess how the game is changing and how we’ve all got to move with it.”
https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/sydney-swans/we-dont-want-to-be-disadvantaged-john-longmire-calls-for-rethink-on-sendoff-rule-after-lloydnankervis-incident/news-story/5395fd3821ed8c4720f30d78dc39c8ae