‘Fine them $10,000’: Longmuir wants AFL to end staging
Justin Chadwick |
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has come up with a quick way to stamp staging out of the game for good: whack players with a $10,000 fine.
The issue of staging for free kicks was thrust back into the spotlight on Friday night when Brisbane star Cam Rayner was gifted two goals at a crucial point of his team’s 38-point qualifying final loss to Geelong.
With Tyson Stengle lining up for goal to put Geelong 33 points ahead in the second quarter, Rayner flopped to the turf in the goal square at the opposite end of the ground after receiving a light nudge to the back from Mark O’Connor.
The umpire paid a free kick to Rayner from point-blank range.
And when an incensed Zach Guthrie bowled Rayner over after the goal was kicked, Rayner received another free kick in the goal square, reducing the margin to just 15 points.
The AFL later admitted the first free kick shouldn’t have been paid due to the force being insufficient, but Rayner wasn’t charged with staging when the match review officer’s findings came out on Saturday.
Even if players are charged for staging, the fine is only $1500 for a first offence, which can be reduced to $1000 with an early guilty plea.
Longmuir wants the league to come down harder on any type of diving, flopping, staging or over-exaggerations, saying the game is already hard enough to umpire.
“It’s easy to stamp out – fine them. Players don’t like getting fined, so just fine them and you tidy that stuff up,” Longmuir said.
“Three years ago, or two years ago, we tidied up ducking your head to try and draw the free kick.
“If someone flops and it’s recognised as a flop, just fine them. Give them 10 grand, and then it’ll tidy itself up.
“Players adapt really well to what the rules are, and if there’s lenience in the rule, they’ll find little gaps to draw three kicks.
“And I don’t blame them for doing that, because they’re looking for any advantage. They’re so competitive, they’re looking for any advantage they can in the game.
“But we just need to not reward it, and then if we do reward it in a game accidentally, well, fine them. It will get tidied up quick as.”
Fremantle had their own off-the-ball controversy in Saturday night’s one-point elimination final loss to Gold Coast.
With the Dockers down by just a point in the second quarter and about to enter attack, Fremantle forward Patrick Voss was penalised for pushing Wil Powell to the ground in an attempt to get free for a lead.
The Suns kicked the next four goals to take a 25-point lead into halftime.
Longmuir was careful to point out that he didn’t think Powell had staged in that instance, but rather it was a case of a stronger player being able to powerfully push away their opponent, and that it didn’t deserve a free kick.
“For me, the Gold Coast player goes and makes contact with Voss, trying to stop his run, so the stronger guy (Voss) ends up on his feet,” Longmuir said.
“It’s just a big penalty.”
AAP
