#AFL Finals Week 1 weekly discussion thread

[Blood Fever]

Bont wasn't hurt, so hard to mount a case for a suspension, which seems to be the way these days that the punishment matches the victim.

But really, why was bont allowed to play anyway. That's the real issue with the tribunal.

Piss weak nature of match review and tribunal plus inconsistencies in treatment of certain players is a huge problem. No doubt Bontempelli should have been rubbed out..Non decision caused a lot of angst among GWS players.

[Bloods05]

Bont wasn't hurt, so hard to mount a case for a suspension, which seems to be the way these days that the punishment matches the victim.

But really, why was bont allowed to play anyway. That's the real issue with the tribunal.

Seriously.

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Yes, who can forget the famed "love tap" which left Matt Maguire writhing on the ground 80M behind the play.

Then of course, there was James Hird's face after the 1996 Prelim. Some kind of mix up involving Andrew Dunkley's
fingers. Jeez, I wonder what happened?

Who lined up for us at FB in the 96 GF? None other than Dunks.

The high horse. It's really slippery up there.

The drug dealer's defence. Other people do it, so it's OK for me.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Is GWS the real deal for this year ?

I haven’t thought so to date this season but they made the bulldogs look pretty aweful

[barry]

Bont wasn't hurt, so hard to mount a case for a suspension, which seems to be the way these days that the punishment matches the victim.

But really, why was bont allowed to play anyway. That's the real issue with the tribunal.

[707]

Fined 1% of his annual salary, weak. Have a read of Greene's rap sheet, every single season and multiple offences per season more than once. Ugly off field as well. Must drive GWS administration nuts.

Just a very rich grub of a person, overshadows his great football ability.

[aardvark]

The AFL must really want GWS to win the Premiership or they'd appeal.

[0918330512]

Big Bad blotted his copy book but he wasn't cowardly. Very courageous player.

BBBH (& Plugger for that matter) reacted to repeated and unrelenting aggravation from opposition and un-supportive umpiring decisions. Toby is the antagonist. No comparison

[0918330512]

Toby Greene wasn't suspended.

Toby Greene & the tribunal are disgraceful

Greene has had 16 tribunal appearances for a paltry 6 matches in suspensions & $18850 in fines (a drop in the proverbial bucket of his salary over that time).

David Rhys-Jones was reported 25 times and suspended for a total of 22 matches.

So statistically averaged, Toby is suspended just over a third of the times he’s reported. On average Rhys-Jones missed a match almost every time.

Worse still, Greene committed multiple offences on the weekend for essentially one report. And all he got was a fine - for multiple offences.

“Ultimately, his remorse – and a favourable medical report from the Bulldogs that revealed Bontempelli suffered no injury as a result of the incident – saved Greene from a suspension, with the talented forward instead handed a significant fine as a penalty for his actions.” - afl.com.au

His “remorse”?! The guy pleaded guilty. Again. How remorseful can you be when you repeatedly offend?! If Al Capone had expressed remorse, would he have been slapped with a fine? And a “favourable medical report”?! What about his significantly unfavourable record?!

[Mel_C]

But easily the best match of Week 1 was the final of the Mens US Open this morning. Man, what an incredible match. I fulfilled a
long held dream of going to Roland Garros this year for the French Open, and it was a great experience, but this morning would
have topped it. You have to hand it to the Rafa.

Nadal is unbelievable! I thought he was gone in that 5th set.

How exciting that you went to the French open. I've been going to the Australian open since 1992.

[KTigers]

Toby Greene wasn't suspended.

Funny. I like how $7,500 is described as a "massive fine". Tobes makes that during the warm up....

[Blood Fever]

Yes he did, and I wish he hadn't put us through that. I also wish he hadn't punched Brent Staker. A brilliant career will be forever tainted by that. In fact the club ultimately got rid of him for that kind of behaviour, and I wish he hadn't put them in that position. Tough and hard is how Bob Skilton and Paul Kelly and Brett Kirk played. That is the gold standard. Thuggery is just that. It is not sport.

Big Bad blotted his copy book but he wasn't cowardly. Very courageous player.

[barry]

I also think it's a bit rough that non-vic players have to travel to Melbourne during finals week for thes MRO hearings.

Come to Sydney you poor sheltered things. Does the AFL have a no-travel policy for its administrators?

[Nico]

I could just imagine mummy saying to bont:
"You shouldn't even be playing, so as soon as we get to an unwinnable position, I'm going to break your jaw"

On the greene case, I wonder if can get suspension credits since they have reversed the studs up rule as soon as a high profile Victorian got done for it.

Whatever they did or said to The Bont certainly put him off his game. I suspect in 2020 other clubs will be following the GWS lead. He didn't get to where the footy was at too often. I don't see GWS as a dirty side. They were just hard at it and exposed The Dogs soft underbelly.

[Bloods05]

When mummy played for us, I don't recall any cries of thuggery on this forum.

Big bad bazza got to play the grand final in 2005 on a technicality after a bit of thuggery.

Yes he did, and I wish he hadn't put us through that. I also wish he hadn't punched Brent Staker. A brilliant career will be forever tainted by that. In fact the club ultimately got rid of him for that kind of behaviour, and I wish he hadn't put them in that position. Tough and hard is how Bob Skilton and Paul Kelly and Brett Kirk played. That is the gold standard. Thuggery is just that. It is not sport.

[Nico]

When mummy played for us, I don't recall any cries of thuggery on this forum.

Big bad bazza got to play the grand final in 2005 on a technicality after a bit of thuggery.

Agree, when Mumford slam tackled a Geelong player he got his just desserts, and when Hall slogged Staker I was happy to see the end of him. If IIRC he then eye gouged a Crows player. How he could possibly have whinged about how he was treated by our club is beyond me. Play it hard but play it fair.