Jimmy Bartel slams MRO for penalising players over AFL’s historical mishandling of concussion issues

Geelong legend Jimmy Bartel has expressed his concerns about the future of the game after North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis received a three-match ban for rough conduct.

In the second quarter of the Kangaroos’ narrow nine-point defeat to Port Adelaide on Saturday, Curtis made a tackle on Josh Sinn, pinning the defender’s arms from behind while maintaining legal contact.

This unfortunate incident resulted in Sinn suffering a concussion, leading match review officer Michael Christian to classify the tackle as severe impact, high contact, and careless conduct.

The Kangaroos are set to present their case to the AFL tribunal this week in an effort to dispute the suspension.

Bartel is of the opinion that if Curtis’ case “proceeds as it should,” he ought to be eligible to take on Essendon this Thursday.

During a discussion on Nine’s Footy Furnace, Bartel raised a key question about what Christian expected from players like Curtis in a tackle situation.

“What options does Paul Curtis have in that scenario?” he remarked.

“Observing Sinn’s knees hitting the ground, [Curtis] doesn’t land on his back; he’s positioned on his side.”

“In fact, I would argue that if he had let go of one arm, it would have resulted in a more forceful impact with the turf due to the momentum.”

There has been a recent trend of players facing harsher penalties for incidents that result in or contribute to concussions among opponents.

This shift comes as the AFL focuses more on ensuring player safety against brain injuries.

Bartel has called for increased transparency regarding how the potential for injury or subsequent issues affects the grading given to players.

“Someone from the AFL needs to come forward and state, ‘Any football incident resulting in a concussion automatically warrants a three-week suspension’. Embrace that if that’s the direction you want to take,” he remarked.

“The current approach is not the answer — punishing present players for past mismanagement of concussions by the league and potential future litigations isn’t fair.

“The situation we find ourselves in now is not a sustainable way forward. It is frustrating for fans like myself, for the players, and for the clubs.”

“This is a constant cycle with no one stepping up from the AFL headquarters to clarify, ‘This is the stance we’ve taken.’

“It’s extremely frustrating for everyone involved.”

Bartel expressed empathy for Paul Curtis in this situation.

Essendon icon James Hird also weighed in, suggesting that players contesting possession need to acknowledge the possibility of being tackled and take responsibility to brace for impact.

In light of all this, 9News chief AFL reporter Tom Morris concurred that the present system is flawed, as careless and accidental actions are drawing heavy penalties, in contrast to what might have been a mere week off or a fine.

“While I’m not advocating for a specific outcome, the AFL suggests you need to either let them go or turn them,” he stated.

Bartel concluded: “This doesn’t preclude Curtis from facing a fine or suspension, but the threshold for punishment should be lower.”

Curtis is expected to appear before the tribunal on Tuesday night.