Up front, I'm a Richmond Football Club fanatic and I don't want to make this post about the Dion Prestia hit by Tom Stewart, that is done and dusted and Stewart will rest for four weeks. But, the Stewart hit, fan uproar and subsequent suspension got me, and many others thinking about the possibility of a send off rule for the AFL.
Almost every other football code has a send off rule, be it the world game, rugby league and union as well as the NFL. So why does the AFL lag behind? Tradition is one part of the arguments but the main one I've heard and seen has been the scope for mistakes and interpretation.
All AFL matches are covered via free-to-air or subscription television and streaming providers. There are multiple camera angles, ability to replay incidents as we have with goal reviews. A red card offence could also have no time limit. If something is missed but picked up later in the match then a red card could still be given. Whilst that may not be ideal it is better than no action taken.
I don't envision the need for many send off offences over the course of a season. The clubs are very good at defining the league's interpretations and it would be in their best interest to reiterate this to their players. So let's look at some obvious examples from the past and tick them off.
These are obvious examples and that is what I would intend for the red card. What would the red card mean? As in other sports a red card means that the player is off for the rest of the match. The offending team can not sub in another player and are down a rotation for the rest of the match. The tribunal still comes into play and any ensuing penalty that comes with the offence.
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