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AFL cracking down on ‘illegal boots’

THE AFL has warned clubs of $40,000 fines if players wear illegal boots with metal stops as its rules and regulations failed to keep up with modern boot designs.

Sydney players Sam Wicks and Dane Rampe were among many players across the competition wearing illegal hybrid boots that combined metal and plastic stops.

Collingwood player Isaac

Quaynor faces weeks on the sidelines after being cut by Wicks’s stops in a gruesome injury that was surgically repaired after Thursday night’s game.

The league let Sydney off without a penalty and has told clubs exposed metal studs “have no place across any level in our game”.

But while the AFL’s rules have long forbidden metal stops, there has been no checking of boots at the elite level by umpires.

The AFL had not checked with boot manufacturers, including Nike, to see the kind of boots they were issuing to players despite them clearly contravening league rules.

Sydney apologised to Quaynor on Friday, saying it would immediately ensure all of its players’ boots were compliant. But despite the threat of $40,000 fines, the AFL will leave it up to players and clubs to police the rule, with no plans to have umpires to check boots pre-game.

Many players across the competition wore similar boots with at least some metal studs, but most also have moulded plastic versions they will be forced to use in the future.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley raised the alarm after the match, saying Pies players were discussing whether Wicks was wearing prohibited metal studs in the rooms.

AFL football boss Steve Hocking warned clubs they needed to ensure boots were not a danger to rival players.

“There are players in the competition who have been wearing boots direct from manufacturers that feature screw-in studs that have a hybrid soleplate, which includes both plastic and aluminium stops, and these are not compliant with AFL regulations,” Hocking said.

“It is the responsibility of clubs and players to work with manufacturers to ensure football boots worn by all players are compliant ... and ensure a duty of care to themselves, their teammates and opposition players.”

Collingwood is satisfied with the outcome even though Quaynor was the victim of the injury, with the young Pie bandaged but able to walk without the aid of crutches yesterday.

Sydney said in a statement it “has been in contact with Collingwood to express its regret ... (and) wish a speedy recovery”.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CLUBS AND PLAYERS TO WORK WITH MANUFACTURERS TO ENSURE FOOTBALL BOOTS WORN BY ALL PLAYERS ARE COMPLIANT

The AFL’s Regulation 4.6 (Other Apparel) states that “metal stops on boots are not permitted to be worn during a Match”. AFL champions including Brad Johnson and Dermott Brereton were stunned that footwear in the modern era had incorporated metal stops given they were always considered banned.

The AFL’s warning to clubs stated players should not “wear boots that have exposed metal stops (i.e. stops may internally contain metal or be metal at the end which screws into the boot, but no exposed surface of the stop that may potentially come into contact with the turf or other player may be metal)”, or wear boots with stops that are plastic or any other material that have sharp or pointed edges”.