Fall in big hits a win for AFL

THE AFL believes its crackdown on punching and tummy taps is leading to a dramatic fall in off-the-ball hits.

The league has recorded a 28 per cent drop in suspensions and fines for strikes this year after instructing its umpires to pay free kicks against any forceful strike or punch.

The flow-on has been an absence of the kind of hits that recently saw Tom Bugg, Bachar Houli and Andrew Gaff suspended for long stints.

This year no AFL player has been suspended longer than a week for a punch.

There have been 63 suspensions and fines for striking, down from 88 at the same time last year.

Many of the strikes that have seen players suspended have been clumsy shepherds.

Former tribunal member Daniel Harford said yesterday it appeared the crackdown had worked.

“There was no doubt the aim of the AFL was to get those type of incidents out of the game,” Harford said.

“Players have worked out pretty quickly playing footy is a good thing and missing it for stupid acts isn’t a very smart thing.

“At lower levels players follow the lead, they use the AFL as an example.

“It’s why AFL headquarters wanted to change the mentality of the playing group.”

AFL football boss Steve Hocking’s determination to clean up the game led to free kicks paid for even low-level punches.

It meant AFL coaches had to take responsibility for free kicks that cost their team goals.

Any clenched fist strike regardless of force and any strike with an open hand or elbow that had sufficient force attracts scrutiny. Suspensions and fines for body strikes are down 18 per cent — 32 so far this year to 39 to the same time last year. And strikes to the head are down from 49 to 31.