Brisbane defensive general Luke Hodge may be at the tail end of his career but he showed Essendon's Dyson Heppell he's still capable of pulling off a big hit.
Hodge bowled the Bombers captain over with strong bump in the second quarter, seeing Heppell bloodied and helped from the ground.
Check out the incident below.
Dyson Heppell and Luke Hodge have collided at the 'Gabba, and the Bombers captain has left the ground due to the blood rule.#AFLLionsDons pic.twitter.com/rq0wmR1C6a
— AFL (@AFL) June 10, 2018
Heppell was taken from the ground and subsequently failed a concussion test.
While most viewers saw the incident as a collision between two players going for the ball, some were questioning whether Hodge might find himself in trouble for the bump.
Given some of the puzzling decisions the match review system and tribunal have come up with so far this year, perhaps the doubts are justified.
Though if Hodge gets sanctioned for bodylining a loose ball and running into an opponent who left himself exposed, congestion and goal review systems will be the least of the game's worries.
Dyson Heppell has gone off after a big collision with Hodge.#AFLLionsDons #DonTheSash
— Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) June 10, 2018
Seems to be two camps on the Hodge/Heppell collision:
— Obsessive Compulsive (@0B5ESSED) June 10, 2018
1. Footy fans who see a courageous hard contest for the loose ball, in which Heppell gets fairly ironed flat by one of the hardest footballers of modern footy.
2. Essendon and Geelong supporters.#AFLLionsDons
Commentators: Hodge has nothing to worry about.
— Zac Jardine (@zaccyj) June 10, 2018
Michael Christian: Hold my beer#AFLLionsDons
If Hodge gets suspended for that bump on Heppell, I’ve watched my last AFL game ever. #AFLLionsDons
— Jake Bozinovski 🐝⚫️⚪️ (@TheRealBozza1) June 10, 2018
Essendon fans booing Hodge is laughable, 100% a footy incident. Let it go. #AFLLionsDons
— Tim Yeatman (@TimYeatman) June 10, 2018
Nothing untoward there. Heppell was clearly going to tackle and caught in 2 minds when Hodge fumbled. #AFLLionsDons
— Scroty McBoogerballs (@Hurleystaxi) June 10, 2018
If hodge gets done for that shut the gate on footy #AFLLionsDons
— winter cricket gun for hire (@thebigoxley) June 10, 2018
After the match, Bombers coach John Worsfold said he didn't think Hodge had anything to worry about.
"Hepp initiated the contact, I think," Worsfold said.
"Hepp came in to put pressure on and it was just a front-on contact.
"I don't know what actually hit Hepp's jaw but I don't think Hodge did anything wrong."
Fortunately for the Bombers, Heppell's absence in the second half didn't prove costly as they ran out 22-point winners.
Jake Stringer impressed with three goals and nine tackles, he was also at the centre of a controversial goal review decision.
Zach Merrett and Andrew McGrath were also among the best for Worsfold's side, while Brisbane key defender Harris Andrews pushed his All Australian claims with another strong performance.
