Geelong recruit Gary Rohan says the contact below the knees rule is being manipulated right now
The catalyst for the introduction of the forceful contact below the knee rule believes players are now bending the rule.
Former Swan turned Geelong recruit Gary Rohan had his leg badly broken following a sickening incident in 2012 when then-North Melbourne small forward Lindsay Thomas slid into his legs during his time.
Thomas was initially hit with a two-game suspension before that sanction was overturned by the tribunal.
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The incident prompted the AFL to introduce a rule that outlawed players from sliding into a contest, in an attempt to protect players from serious injuries like the one Rohan sustained.
But just like the controversial high tackle rule, Rohan says players are trying to gain free kicks from the rule — and that wasn’t why it was introduced.
“It’s gone a bit too far one way I think — the wrong way,” Rohan told SEN SA.
“It’s fine obviously when you dive head-first or hand-first at the footy. It’s more the one where you’re running. Obviously the one that happened to me, and slide feet-first, that’s the more dangerous one I reckon.
“They’re trying to protect the players, but I think they’ve gone a bit too far the other way.
“The players these days are smart and they see it happening so they just trip over themselves and fake for the free kick which happens all the time, so it has gone the wrong way.”
Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield revealed his frustration at the AFL’s contentious rule while commentating the Bulldogs-Swans game in Round 1.
After working tirelessly from the wing and pushing into the forward line, Bulldog Ed Richards fell into the back of Sydney defender Jake Lloyd, who was attempting to grab the footy. But because Lloyd made contact with Richards’ knees, the umpire awarded a free kick against the Swans for prohibited contact below the knees, leading to a gift goal for young Richards.
“I understand the rule, but gee I despite it,” Dangerfield told Channel 7.
“It was initially brought in to stop guys having their legs broken. By the letter of the law that is a free kick, but at the moment as a player it’s so frustrating, because you want to go after the ball.”
Rohan crossed from the Swans to the Cats in exchange for Pick 61 last October.
After making a low key start to his time in the hoops in Round 1, Rohan booted three goals in Geelong’s big win over Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium on the weekend, adding it to the four he kicked on the same ground during the JLT Community Series.
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