Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believes the AFL should ban the ‘hip-drop tackle,’ similar to the NRL, to prevent serious leg injuries. This suggestion follows an incident where Aaron Naughton of the Western Bulldogs was injured after Sydney’s Lewis Melican wrapped his legs around Naughton’s right leg, causing a medial ligament injury. Lloyd emphasized that this type of tackle, which involves a wrestler-like grip that restricts the player’s leg movement, is highly dangerous and should lead to suspensions.
The NRL addressed this issue four years ago, imposing significant penalties on players for such tackles. For example, in 2022, Brisbane’s Pat Carrigan was suspended for four weeks for a tackle that broke the leg of Jackson Hastings from the Wests Tigers. Similarly, the NFL recently banned the hip-drop tackle for the upcoming season.
In a recent game between Carlton and Gold Coast, a similar tackle by Suns defender Mac Andrew on Blues forward Charlie Curnow drew criticism from Suns coach Damien Hardwick, who highlighted the risk of serious injuries due to slow umpiring decisions. He stressed the importance of quicker whistle blows and players’ duty of care to each other.
Stephen McBurney, AFL’s Head of Officiating, defended the current umpiring guidelines, emphasizing player safety. He explained that players with a free arm to dispose of the ball are given “reasonable time” to do so. McBurney acknowledged the dilemma for tacklers who must bring players down safely without risking penalties. He stated that the AFL is closely monitoring such situations and collecting examples to refine the rules and ensure proper time allowances are made for safe play.
