Maynard incident > Maynard rule > Brayshaw retirement

[Piesnchess]

Interesting how the latest article on SEN claims that Bruzza's visit was "awkward" and one Melbourne player had to leave the room, while Tom Morris' tweet the day before described the visit as ''well received''
I can understand how and why Brayshaw's team mates would get caught up in the moment: real anger coupled with grief that their mate is definite to miss out on their next final and potentially another, likewise anger and grief because of the injury itself, and Brayshaw's history of concussion. All of these factors are purely emotional, and rationality gets thrown out the window no doubt in the minds of young, turbo charged, super athletes bonded together with the team spirit we know the AFL competition produces.
Likewise the fact that SEN publishes such articles is again typical of the disgusting role that the media plays in heightening emotion at the expense of objectivity, making it that more difficult for Bruzza to get a fair hearing.

However listening to the interview with legal expert Paul Ehrlich above was very reassuring. Bruzza will no doubt have a defence making the very same arguments, and they are irrefutable on any rational basis. There are just so many past examples and precedents that can be used to show that the collision has to be considered as incidental contact, an unfortunate accident, and that if Bruzza was guilty of a reckless act, it was turning up to play the game!

I feel confident that Bruzza won't be penalised. I think in fact that Christian was overruled by the the new CEO was mostly for cosmetic legal purposes, but which will not stand up when tested on a rational basis.

Same here, be a long hearing, but he will get off, commonsense will prevail, 0.6 of a second, nobody can change directions, angles in that time frame . He has many ex AFL players on his side on this, the bile that spews from Caros gob wont affect this, no FC for me tonight, might have broken the remote with her vile rubbish, so over it.

[PyreneesPie]

Part of the charge is "severe impact". Wonder if the Tribunal takes into account that this impact was caused by TWO players running at full speed, not just one?
Brayshaw did nothing to elude the smother, as many players often do.

[Deja Vu]

All these people wanting a suspension are thinking short term. They don’t know what they’re pushing for.

If Maynard is suspended, every time a player is concussed or knocked out, the action, regardless of intent, will be deemed reportable and have to go to the tribunal. Doesn’t matter the circumstances - players will be rubbed out based on outcome, not actually what they did.

As for Gerard Whateley. Is this the same guy who is happy to lionise Patrick Cripps as a fair and outstanding player, Brownlow medallist etc.

Tell me which of the 2 players - Cripps or Maynard - had more intent to hurt?

One will get suspended. The other gets a reprieve and a Brownlow to boot

[choppa]

This feels like a witch hunt and I’m starting to get angry. The Carry on from Melbourne is starting to get disgraceful

[Jezza]

Hamish Brayshaw now putting his 2 cents in……..it sort of getting out of hand now.

I understand he's emotional and concerned for his brother's wellbeing, but I think it's highly inappropriate to publicly comment on an ongoing tribunal matter.

I've never seen anything like this before where family members are openly discussing a tribunal matter and even inferring Maynard would only be cleared of any wrongdoing because the AFL wants us to win the flag rather than because no rules were broken in the first place.

I don't know what happens to Maynard and whether he'll be suspended or not. I'll be interested in the judgment and rationale for the decision either way, but I wish the process would be allowed to play out without everyone in the media chiming in and essentially prejudicing the process.

[magpieazza]

Geez Gary Lyon tried hard to get Bruz suspended too.

Ive heard alot media now saying that Maynard has a case to answer.

OK so the game is changing but dont change the rules on the run.

I think now the only thing saving Maynard will be the fact AB veered into BM. The whole argument of being a football act wont save BM which in itself is a head scratcher.

It sickens me to think BM could miss the Grand Final, but Collingwood will run this to the top and fight tooth and nail to get some common sense into this Bull dust!!

[eddiesmith]

So Garry Lyon and Leigh Matthew’s flying the flag for ex players who want him suspended, geez I can’t see why these 2 and nobody else, I just can’t put my finger on it…

[David]

I suspect it’ll come down to a legal appeal and the question of precedent: that any suspension, however appropriate it might feel to some, is making new rules up on the spot, and that the AFL need to specifically address this kind of situation in their rule book before suspending players for it. Incidents like the Tom Lynch one will probably be key to making that point.

[Meredith1965]

If a smother like this is now not acceptable, then how can a knee to the back of the head in a marking contest possibly be so ? Is concussion only a problem when it arises from trying to impede a player who has the ball ?

If they want to get rid of this from the game, the game, as a whole, will have to be redesigned and become something else.

The intellectual giants at the AFL don’t seem to understand the implications of their own machinations.

[bally12]

If you ever doubted how hated we are, this debacle should dispel any doubts.

Among the game's biggest thugs, Matthews, Brereton, and Dippa (coincidentally all Hawthorn...funny that), all came out to say Bruz should be suspended. The hypocrisy is beyond belief.

What's lost in all this is that the player running full pelt in a straight line ALSO has a responsibility to be aware of what's around him. In this instance, the player on the ground running was the only one that had the ability to change course and avoid a collision with a player attempting to smother that was airborne and not able to change direction.
Instead Brayshaw was concentrating on watching ball to boot, and blindly running at hgh speed without seeing what's in front of him. Why is it taken for granted that only Brayshaw was in a vulnerable position in this siutation? What if the collision resulted in Bruz getting concussed (quite possible, his head did snap back as well).
What transpired was Maynard being in the air and seeing Brayshaw was not even looking at where he was going, anticipated the inevitable collision which at that speed was akin to a car crash, and instinctively braced for the collision. To the people saying he shouldn't have done that, sorrry but leaving your front open to a charging 90kg man running at 30km/h leaves you at risk of all kinds of internal injuries, including reproductive organs.

Ultimately, Maynard did nothing wrong, attempted a smother that was as fair and as natural footy action as you can get, the other player due to lack of awareness slammed into him, our guy instinctively braced, the other guy came off 2nd best. Accident.
Now let's play football, and all you Pies hating squealers get back in your boxes and watch us win our 16th flag.

[Damien]

The AFL have just discovered that they have a new problem. They’ve dealt with bumps and tackles and probably thought they had the rules covered to avoid head knocks. Then comes the smother. I don’t know how the rules are worded but The question is, can Brayden Maynard’s legal defence team show that he didn’t break the rules? Probably more so, the AFL need to show that he DID break the rules. If they can’t he’ll walk and the rule will be tidied up for next season.

It doesn’t matter what commentators, experts and talkback callers say; the tribunal will not be influenced by all that crap; he’ll get a fair hearing. There’s a lot of emotion in this incident, probably more than I can ever recall in my time watching footy, but that won’t matter in the tribunal’s hearing. It can’t. I’ve just finished watching all the footy shows and I think that the debate was all pretty fair and reasonable.

[perthmagpie]

There is also the distinct possibility Maynard got a fingertip to the ball. It’s hard to tell at 30fps but it does potentially look like the ball spin changes after it passes his hand making the smother attempt realistic.

[Piesnchess]

What a damn joke, Lethal Leigh and Dermie, want Bruzza suspended, two of the biggest thugs who ever played footy, yeh, great players but bloody thugs, Lethal dropped a geelong player cold, Bruns I recall and faced criminal police charges, him of all people. what a total **** this is now, a bleeding kangaroo court now. Getting real angry now, real **** off bigtime now.

[Harrysz]

Damien, thanks for that audio clip. Erlich KC is spot on. Where's the act of negligence?

Caroline Wilson on Classified was at her Collingwood-hating best. She thought straight away that "he'd get weeks". "Collingwood are making pathetic excuses". She attacked Collingwood, as well as Maynard. She criticised Maynard for taking over red wine and flowers. This is not sexist. It's not because she's female. It's because she hates Collingwood. She has shown that many times over the years. She hates Collingwood, the team which, incidentally, she tipped to finish 11th this year.

[jonmac1954]

Damien, thanks for that audio clip. Erlich KC is spot on. Where's the act of negligence?

Caroline Wilson on Classified was at her Collingwood-hating best. She thought straight away that "he'd get weeks". "Collingwood are making pathetic excuses". She attacked Collingwood, as well as Maynard. She criticised Maynard for taking over red wine and flowers. This is not sexist. It's not because she's female. It's because she hates Collingwood. She has shown that many times over the years. She hates Collingwood, the team which, incidentally, she tipped to finish 11th this year.

Gutter trash journalist.