Re: AFL Rd 6 2024 Post Game Review Carlton vs GWS
Reply #110 –
One or two games of stats won't make a big difference to overall stats, but after a couple of games the umpiring effectively forced TDK into changing his technique when there wasn't anything actually wrong with it. All because of Scott whinging.
We had plenty of debate about this at the time, and the influence of our ruck coaches, surely you remember.
Think back to the Geelong game last season. De Koning hurt Stanley with a fairly crude knee to the ribs. De Koning was slapped with a $3,000 fine and Scott did complain about Stanley's injury in his post game presser. We appealed and Tom was exonerated. In the games following, De Koning's free kicks against were 1, 0, 1, 3, 5, 3, 0 ... The five frees came in the Essendon game where the umpires favoured Essendon with 32 frees to 18. The frees paid against De Koning were all in general play; two for in the back and one for chopping the arms in marking contests, one for high contact and one for holding the man. In fact, it is very clear that the umpires did not adjudicate De Koning's ruck contests any differently than they did before the Geelong game
De Koning's technique may have changed marginally in that he is not so blatant when he targets the opposition rucks. However, it's still the same technique, just more effective than it was.
Chris Scott has nowhere near the influence that you credit him with. On the other hand, I suspect the AFL listens carefully to comments and suggestions from Princes Park.