AAMI Community Match vs Melbourne

[LP]

If I were in charge of the umpires I'd tell them that making contact with someone trying to mark a ball without any attempt to spoil (excluding a "body spoil") or mark is automatically a free kick.

If there is no attempt top mark then I agree, but using a shoulder of body to defend the space for the drop of the ball isn't illegal, but using hands is outright illegal in the rules and should be banned.

Coaches have forced a softening of the rules, as well as moron commentators like BT, who continually bleat about there being not enough force! The Scott's were beauties for this, but then again they were also beauties at "The Body Spoil" which is just code for tunnelling bigger opponents.

btw.' Franklin does the hands in the back all the time, Hall use to do it as well, as does Hawkins. They can use a upper arm or shoulder and that is legal in the rules if the ball is within the required distance. But use hands and I agree 100% it should be penalised.

Another thing I'd like to see ignored by umpires is small opponents running into big blokes and claiming high contact, it's become a deliberate tactic and they do it to Cripps al the time around the stoppages. Basically the midgets head straight towards him and face plant into his bicep then claim Cripps hit them high! Umpires should just ignore it, or even penalise these players for staging for free kicks. Whether it is legal of not I don't care about, it is not in the spirit of our sport, we don't want AFL players being carted off on a stretcher then bouncing up and running straight back on!