Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick will raise the issue of on-field protection for Matt Rowell in his next meeting with the AFL, as the midfielder continues to draw scrutiny for near misses involving umpires.
Rowell, 24, has become the face of the league’s crackdown on careless umpire contact and is on the verge of facing the Tribunal if there's another slip-up, a prospect that has prompted Hardwick to speak with both the player and the AFL ahead of Friday night’s clash with Collingwood.
“It’s incumbent on the umpires”
“It’s also incumbent on the umpires to protect the ball players as well, so that’s probably more the line of questioning we’ll go down,” Hardwick said. “We also understand that Matt, and me, in particular, have a duty of care to not run into the umpires. We’ve got to make sure we look after them.”
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Rowell was involved in a couple of close calls during the Suns’ win over Essendon, reigniting talk around his physical playing style and the balance between aggression and awareness.
Hardwick’s call mirrors a recent plea from Collingwood’s Craig McRae, who publicly defended Nick Daicos in the face of rough treatment. While the two coaches prepare to go head-to-head on Friday at People First Stadium, Hardwick ruled out any hard tags on the opposition’s stars.
“There’ll be a lot of head-to-head stuff, but not much tagging,” he said. “We’re going to get the greatest of tests.”
He also confirmed that vice-captain Sam Collins remains in the frame to return from a calf strain, despite limited training during the week.