THE BAD

Harley sours Dockers triumph

Harley Bennell is again in the news headlines for all the wrong reasons. Bennell was escorted from a flight from Melbourne to Gold Coast due to being under the influence of alcohol. He had been granted leave by the club.

Once one of the most prized young players for the Gold Coast Suns, his tenure at Fremantle has been nothing short of disastrous. Since moving to the Dockers at the end of 2015, he has failed to play a senior game due to persistent calf injuries, which currently has him sidelined. It appears unlikely that Bennell will play senior footy in 2017, if ever again.

Bumps and bruises

Jack Ziebell’s big hit on Travis Cloke during the Good Friday clash has sparked plenty of discussion about the the spirit of the game. Ziebell blatantly ran through Cloke after he kicked the ball, leaving the former Magpie with broken ribs and a four-six week stint on the sidelines.

Given Ziebell didn’t make contact with Cloke’s head, the bump was fair. However, Ziebell’s intention was clear and the severity of Cloke’s injury suggests it was an overly aggressive attack. The MRP found Ziebell not guilty. 10 years ago this would have been a non-issue, however the AFL has recently expressed a bigger concern over the safety and welfare of the players.

Nomination nightmare

We return to an incident from the Good Friday clash, with what was undoubtedly the most controversial umpiring decision of 2017.

Inside the Bulldogs forward 50, Todd Goldstein engaged in a ruck contest with Marcus Bontempelli, who nominated himself by raising his hand. Andrew Swallow and Josh Dunkley wrestled in their own contest nearby, where the umpire awarded Dunkley a free kick as Swallow blocked Dunkley from ‘rucking’. This resulted in a Bulldogs set shot at goal.

Whilst you aren’t allowed to block a ruckman about to compete, Bontempelli had clearly already nominated himself for that particular ruck contest, not Dunkley. This raised a gawking grey area the AFL faces with its adjudication of the new third man up rucking rule. It must be resolved promptly.