The tackle is not dead, that is for sure!

This season there have been 23,429 tackles that didn’t result in a reportable incident, in fact there has only been 5 that have been deemed reportable by the MRP.

99.97% of tackles laid in 2017 have been made with varying degrees of success, some have resulted in a free against, some in a free for, some just play on but most importantly only 5 or 0.03% have resulted in suspensions from the MRP.

The hysteria around the tackle only broke out when Brownlow Medal favourite Patrick Dangerfield was suspended for a tackle that concussed a player and then a week later Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy was suspended for a very similar incident.

Prior to this the first 3 suspensions passed with barely a batted eye lid in the media, these players were not Brownlow Medal favourites, or the ruckmen of one of the biggest Victorian clubs, so the media spot light simply was not there.

The AFL and MRP have set out to protect the head and make it sacrosanct, whether it be by bump or tackle. This is not surprising considering the Chronic Trauma Encephalopathy numbers coming out of the NFL related to permanent concussion injuries. They have been able to do this successfully through these suspensions, it is not their job to be popular but to do what is right.

The media are now pushing an agenda of the tackle being dead, but players don’t seem to think it is, Kieran Jack today said the Swans were clear on what was and wasn’t legal in a tackle.

Some physicality has been taken out by not being able to sling or dump a player to the ground, but with concussion a growing issue this is an understandable and commendable stance taken by the MRP.

To put it in a numbers sense .03% of tackles all season have been reported, of that 40% are causing an outrage over nothing.

The tackle lives and lives strong!!