Eddie McGuire Ponders ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Regarding Push in the Back Rule Amid Rising Concerns Over Its Usage

Eddie McGuire has shared his “conspiracy theory” regarding the ongoing debates about the push in the back rule, which has come into sharp focus following a spate of injuries sustained by players during pre-season marking contests.

Concerns have grown within the AFL community after Mitch Owens sustained a shoulder injury last Saturday. Other players, including Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich, Jordan Croft from the Western Bulldogs, and West Coast’s Sam Lalor, have faced similar injuries in the same type of scenarios.

On Fox Footy, Leigh Montagna noted that this has become “a trend,” while David King described it as “a very dangerous situation.”

According to the laws of the game, pushing or bumping an opponent in the back is classified as prohibited contact.

On Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy Podcast, Jimmy Bartel remarked, “this isn’t a new problem”.

“This has been happening for some time, and it’s always hard to watch,” he stated.

“We’ve seen many champions employ this tactic recently when they decide not to pursue the marking contest and instead launch their opponents into it.”

McGuire believes it’s an “unintended consequence of the AFL’s failure to enforce the rules” and went on to present his theory about the situation.

“Can I suggest a conspiracy theory? I suspect, though I have no proof, that umpires have been instructed not to penalise in the back incidents, particularly in marking situations,” he noted.

“This seems to favour the defensive player, allowing them to push forward instead of adhering to the past practice of stepping back, setting up, and taking a mark.”

“The concussion risks associated with marking are issues nobody seems willing to confront. If we eliminate marking from the game, we might as well pack up and head home.”

“In the past, players would maintain their ground; once they saw that the ball was in the air and their opponent was positioned beneath it, they would leap without hesitation. Nowadays, the tendency seems to be to push first. I can’t help but wonder if this is a contributing factor.”

Bartel believes it’s crucial for umpires to take a firm stance to prevent players from exploiting the situation.

“The first instance of such action needs to be penalised straight away; they’ll soon realise that the umpires are vigilant, and adjustments will follow,” he advised.