AFL great and All-Australian selector Gerard Healy has lashed out at the AFL’s match review process, describing the five-week ban handed to Tom Lynch as farcical when compared to a separate, more dangerous incident.
Writing in a column for SEN, Healy slammed the disparity between Lynch’s punishment and the lighter two-week suspension given to Sam Durham, despite the latter’s hit carrying what he described as a “life-threatening” risk.
“Simply the greatest head-shaking moment of the season”
“For me, this was simply the greatest head-shaking moment of the season,” Healy wrote. “The comparison is a joke.”
Healy questioned the league’s priorities, pointing out the AFL’s sudden focus on umpire safety, following reports of officials being bowled over and even concussed, while seemingly neglecting player safety in far more serious incidents like the bump on Adam Cerra.
MORE: Carlton refuse to confirm coach Michael Voss' future
“My head nearly twisted off through the next morning when I read that CEO Andrew Dillon had come out swinging with a warning for all players to be careful of umpires,” he said. “That’s when the warning should have applied… if the umpires’ safety was so important to act, then what about the players’ safety? What about Cerra’s safety?”
Healy also took aim at the AFL’s timing, suggesting they were too preoccupied with the Hall of Fame event to properly deal with Durham’s hit. “The AFL, unfortunately, was so busy with the Hall of Fame, they lost the plot on this one,” he said. “But it’s not too late. It’s never too late for something so important.”
Referencing past tribunal decisions, he reminded fans that Ben Johnson once received six weeks for a similar offence, calling for greater consistency and a stronger message on dangerous contact.