The AFL world is up in arms after Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron and GWS tagger Toby Bedford’s three-match suspensions for dangerous tackles were upheld at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday evening.
Cameron tried to argue his driving tackle which concussed West Coast’s Liam Duggan was reasonable, claiming Duggan was to blame for the backward momentum.
However, the Tribunal found Cameron acted unreasonably and drove Duggan forcefully backwards, a finding that has caused uproar across the AFL landscape.
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“I must admit, I’m a bit stunned by that one… I think the Brisbane Lions would be absolutely filthy,” Sydney champion and Fox Footy expert Gerard Healy said on SEN Sportsday.
Former AFL superstar Wayne Carey took to X to say: “Charlie C gets three weeks for a tackle in that way is an absolute joke !! AFLPA do something please #bulls**t”
Sydney Swans champion Jude Bolton tweeted: “FFS. 3 weeks! Seriously… where are we at?”
Daniel Harford posted: “#absolutegarbage”
Elsewhere, ABC Broadcaster Clint Wheeldon labelled the suspension a “disgrace”.
“If you defend this decision – go and participate in nothing more physical than Hungry, Hungry Hippos. But only with protective glasses on, because there’s a slight risk one of the plastic balls might hit you.”
Later in the night Bedford was also unsuccessful. Speaking before the Bedford hearing, AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson said he thought Cameron was “not guilty”.
“There’s dilemma’s everywhere, I thought it was a reasonable case with the tangle of legs and the motion of going to the ground… three weeks?” he said.
“I don’t think he’s guilty… my gut feel is he’s not guilty, but I understand why he is, but I don’t know what’s more important, your understanding or your instinct.
“If Toby Bedford goes tonight, there’s going to be immediate calls, the AFL will need to answer them in the next 24 hours, what’s the direction? What can’t he do and what should he do?”
Cameron’s teammate, Josh Dunkley said he thought it was the “perfect tackle”.
“It’s a tough one, I was right there, I obviously didn’t know the outcome of what happened to Duggan, but I thought it was the perfect tackle,” he said.
Meanwhile Bedford’s teammate Lachie Whitfield said this week: “I just don’t know any more what to do. It’s very, very confusing. We’re all a bit shocked by the three weeks… I was honestly astonished. There’s only so much you can do.”
Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes called Bedford’s suspension “disgraceful”
Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown held grave concerns for the state of the game on Monday night’s episode of Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
“What has happened to our great game? It’s getting into troubling territory for me. It’s just astonishing, I know where we’re going as a game, we’re trying to protect the head but what in the hell is Toby Bedford meant to do? We are allowed to tackle in our game, I feel bad for Tim Taranto, but we are starting to eat in to the fabric of our game,” he said.
“I’m telling him mate don’t pursue and don’t tackle, I’d rather have you playing for us instead of missing the next three weeks.
“Concussion crusaders, be careful what you wish for… this is a crossroads moment.”
Bedford’s captain, Toby Greene, said he didn’t think Bedford “had any other option”.
“When I first saw it on the day, I was standing next to Nathan Broad and having a discussion about it, we saw the replay and thought if Tim’s concussed then they might give it a week and then you’d probably challenge it,” he began.
“Broady was accepting of that and thought he’d be alright with that one. Once he got three weeks, it doesn’t seem right to me, he’s making a legitimate play on Tim who has the ball, I don’t think he has any other option and I’m not sure what else he can do in that situation at speed or how he can protect him in any other way.”
Greene said he believes players will start hesitating and second guessing themselves when they go to tackle.
“I feel like players are going to be affected and start second guessing how they go about their job.”
Adelaide goalkicking star Taylor Walker added: “It’s pretty frustrating as a player… you certainly start to change what you do during the week a little bit.
“The game is changing, I feel for the umpires, I feel for the coaches trying to teach it, we’ve just got to adapt with the change and roll with the punches.”
Greene then went on to say he would put his hand up to be on a rules committee should that be reinstated.
He adds: “I think that (protecting the head) was brought in last year. We saw the amount of people getting done for sling tackles and dangerous tackles, I think the players have understood that and really made a good change. Now I feel like this is overstepping the mark. This is a tackle that you’re going to see in AFL footy for the next 50 years. If you eradicate this, you’re just going to have to tackle standing up.”
