DANGEROUS MOVE

AFL weak for fine on Hawk Burgoyne

CONCUSSION expert Alan Pearce says the AFL missed a perfect chance to show it was serious about dangerous tackles with its fine for Shaun Burgoyne’s sling tackle.

Burgoyne was fined for a low-impact tackle that even Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall said deserved suspension to show the league did not accept slinging tackles. The AFL ruled it a low impact act because Dangerfield was not concussed but had the chance to elevate it to a oneweek suspension because of the capacity to cause serious injury.

Western Bulldog Will Hayes was suspended for a similar act in the Marsh Series

for a tackle against Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston. Neurophysiologist Pearce, who has conducted research for the AFL and helped launch Australia’s sporting brain bank, said the AFL’s message reverberated across the community.

“I was quite surprised to see Burgoyne not really get penalised for something quite dangerous,” he said.

“Those are the kinds of impact tackles that lead towards long-term brain damage.

“Dangerfield wasn’t concussed but they are the sort of heavy impacts we are so concerned about. Those sub concussive hits lead towards longterm chronic degenerative diseases like CTE, even more so than full concussions.

“This is an obvious example of rough play that can lead to long-term brain damage.

“He’s been fined but it’s about changing behaviour and the attitude towards that sort of play.

“We don’t want to make the game soft, but it sends a message at club levels that you can emulate these sort of plays, that if the AFL players are doing it we can.

“You don’t want junior players doing it because they have seen it at AFL level. It’s a message for all levels of football.”

AFL legend “Polly” Farmer was diagnosed with CTE over summer, which his family said was caused by repeated concussions.

It comes as concussion campaigner Peter Jess has warned the AFL to expect another wave of concussion lawsuits given the AFL’s returnto-play protocols.