AFL Legends Criticise ‘Subpar Technique’ Behind Shocking Concussion Incident

AFL legends Rory Sloane and Isaac Smith have expressed their belief that match review officer Michael Christian should not have handed Gold Coast’s Brayden Fiorini a suspension for the bump that resulted in Harrison Petty’s concussion.

The impact rendered the Melbourne player unable to continue in his team’s defeat in Queensland.

Brisbane great Alistair Lynch labelled the contact as “dangerous” in real-time commentary.

Despite this, Sloane believes that it’s incumbent upon Petty to avoid engaging in the contest with his head, describing it as “poor technique”.

“I don’t think Fiorini should face any penalties; this is solely about Harrison Petty, who is unfortunately dealing with the repercussions of inadequate technique,” Sloane told Nine’s Sunday AFL Footy Show.

“This is a point I strongly advocate for, especially at the youth level, where it’s critical to teach the correct fundamental techniques for ground balls—stepping over the ball, getting your body in position, and protecting yourself.”

“We certainly don’t want to see concussions in our game, but in this particular case, the responsibility falls on the player to protect themselves.”

A parallels incident took place earlier this month when Carlton’s Adam Cerra was struck by Essendon’s Sam Durham. Durham received a suspension for that head-high impact.

However, Norm Smith Medallist Isaac Smith believes the two scenarios are quite different, as Durham intentionally bumped Cerra, whereas Fiorini was simply retrieving a loose ball.

“Durham made a conscious decision to bump Cerra. I think the incident involving Gold Coast was largely due to Petty’s poor technique,” the former Hawthorn and Geelong star stated.

“As a player, you have every right to position your foot over the ball, stick your backside out, and make contact with the opposing player.”

A decision regarding the incident is expected to be made on Sunday evening.