Eddie McGuire has revealed his “conspiracy theory” on the current decision making around the push in the back rule after a number of players were injured during pre-season after being pushed into a marking contest.
Concern has festered through the AFL after Mitch Owens was left with a shoulder injury on Saturday. Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich, the Western Bulldogs’ Jordan Croft and West Coast’s Sam Lalor have also suffered similar fates as a result of marking contests.
Speaking on Fox Footy, Leigh Montagna described it as “a trend” while David King said “it’s a really dangerous situation”.
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Under the laws of the game, pushing or bumping an opposition player in the back is considered prohibited contact.
Mitch Owens reacts after the marking contest which left him injured. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Speaking on Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy Podcast, Jimmy Bartel stated “this is not new”.
“This has been going on, you always grimace when you see it,” he said.
“There’s been many champions do it in recent times where they just go I’m not going to win this marking contest … and they just launch their direct opponents into it.”
McGuire believes it’s an “unintended consequence of the AFL not imposing the rules” before revealing his theory on the situation.
“Can I throw a conspiracy theory in? I wonder, and I have no proof, other than I go to the games and watch,” he said.
“I have a really sneaky suspicion that the reason why umpires have been told not to pay in the backs, in particular marking positions, is that it allows the defensive player or the person behind to get in a defensive position and push forward as opposed to the old days where you took two steps back, set yourself and jumped up and took a screamer.
“I think the concussion aspect of marking is something no one wants to address. You take the mark out of the game, then we may as well pack up and go home.
Mitch Owens in a sling. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“… In the old days, you’d hold your position, once you knew the ball was in the air and your opponent was under it, you’d go here we go happy days and you’d run and jump. Now you see them go in and push, I just wonder if there’s a little bit of that in it.”
Bartel believes the solution is in the hands of the umpires to ensure players don’t manipulate the system.
“The first one which will happen in the first five minutes, just blow the whistle,” he said.
“And you know what players do? They go ‘hey they’re looking for that, we’ve got to adjust’.”
