The AFL bump is dying: Bizarre Ben Cunnington suspension shows why hip-and-shoulders should be banned

Kieran Francis

The AFL bump is dying: Bizarre Ben Cunnington suspension shows why hip-and-shoulders should be banned image

The bump in AFL is dying and will be extinct within a few seasons - but why just not ban the action now instead of creating confusion?

If we didn't see it coming after Patrick Dangerfield's suspension, the incident that has seen Ben Cunnington banned is a nail in the coffin of the hip-and-shoulder.

It's understandable the AFL wants to stamp out an action that can inevitably cause serious head and neck injuries to players.

Geelong superstar Dangerfield had no intention of knocking out former teammate Jake Kelly but he caused a significant concussion to the Adelaide defender when they clashed heads while he was attempting to bump.

By banning Dangerfield for three weeks, the AFL sent a message that any bumps that caused head injuries - regardless of intention - would result in punishment by the Match Review Panel.

But the decision to offer a one-week suspension to North Melbourne enforcer Cunnington for his late hit on Laird is an entirely different message being delivered by the AFL.

Cunnington charged toward Laird to provide maximum pressure as the Crows midfielder kicked inside 50 - at an important point in the game - and once the ball was gone, he pulled up and delivered a bump at probably 20 percent of his maximum velocity.

Laird went down and clutched his knee after being hit by Cunnington, but there didn't appear to be any high contact in television replays of the incident.

Firstly, it was surprising that a down field free kick was awarded for the action, with Taylor Walker converting the resulting shot for goal from inside 50.

The consistency from umpires on the awarding of free kicks for late hits on players disposing the ball is all over the shop at the moment, and Cunnington's hit seemed to be on the minor side.

The Adelaide gun was assessed for injury after the bump, but returned quickly to be arguably best-on-ground as the Crows ran out 41-point winners.

When Cunnington was given a one-match ban by the Match Review Panel - with the incident being graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact - there was immediate uproar among greats of the game and fans on social media.

For a start, there doesn't appear to be any high contact, and the basis of punishments in the past on these type of incidents has been based on if the player is injured or not.

It appears the suspension of Cunnington - which North Melbourne have decided to appeal - is the first step by the AFL at eradicating the bump entirely.

But how are we now going to proceed forward with how the bump is dealt with for the rest of the season? It is still allowed in the laws of the game and you can't imagine the AFL making a rule change on the fly during the season.

Imagine if a player misses a grand final for delivering body contact like Cunnington's hit on Laird?

The AFL's general strategy to protect players from head injuries and concussions should be lauded, but the confusing messaging on bumps needs to be ironed out as soon as possible.

If it means the bump is banned to help players from suffering knocks that can cause life-changing diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), then so be it.

Would a ban only include bumps to players disposing the ball? Will the bump shepherd to protect a teammate carrying the ball also be outlawed?

Decisions need to be made so the game can move on without confusion, because the AFL has been an outstanding product this season and it doesn't need a negative story to drag it down.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.