Not a big fan of AFL, but I was disgusted in the actions of first grade player Andrew Gaff, who punched opponent Andrew Brayshaw in the face breaking Brayshaw's jaw and knocking out his teeth.
The penalty for this criminal action, Gaff can sit on the side line for the next eight weeks. If this had taken place anywhere else Gaff would be looking at criminal charges. Is the footy field some sort of special place where anything goes, and you get away with it.

My opinion; This bloke should be up on criminal charges just like any other Australian would be if they did the same thing.

So Paul 1404

You would like to see lawyers and police involved in refereeing football games...

That's the Greens for you!

Sorry, Paul 1405..not 1404.

That's a subliminal slip. I've made you walk home the last hundred yards as a penalty for stupid thinking Paul.

Punching another person is assault, no matter where it occurs. But, AFL, more than ever before, is a very violent activity just lacking the lions, weapons and nets of the gladitorial events the sent the ancient Romans into a frenzy. The only other difference between the two events is that the Roman spectators didn't brawl among themselves unlike many of the drunks watching football.

Dear PAul1405,

Gaff had never once in his football career ever fronted a tribunal for any form of misconduct including all his years in the juniors. Those who coached him regarded him as an extremely fair player. His claim that he was looking to hit his opponent in the chest can not be fully discounted by the video.

However a young first year player did receive some pretty confronting damage which has effectively ended his season.

Intent and prior behavior are a huge part of any police involvement. For instance if a tooth is knocked out by a raised stick in a hockey game should the police automatically be called?

Indeed by your definition wouldn't boxing matches be halted seconds into the first round and charges laid?

Contact sports do carry a real risk of injury.

I certainly feel the league has been lax on policing body shots and they have become the norm. This may well have had a factor. I think there is a lot the administrators of the game can do to change behaviour and better protect players. But no, I don't believe police charges should be automatic.

If this had happened in front of a night club at 2.00 AM in the morning, Gaff would definitely be up on charges.

The Queensland tax payer has spent a lot of money in government advertising pushing the "one punch can kill" message, to try to reduce drunken thug like behaviour, the fact that this bloke was not drunk makes it much worse in my opinion.

He should have the book, both the AFL & the law books thrown at him, & have a much longer suspension, that of 6 months in prison.

How the hell do you expect to stop drunken thugs doing this in the street, if it is served up on TV in "GAMES" with no suitable punishment?

Diver Dick, your typical red neck response. Dead chooks are the consequence of cock fighting, something you probably support.

What I don't have is an issue with the rules of contact sports. played rugby in my younger days. Accidental injury is part of the game. In this case the whole episode was not in the context of the game, but took place remote from the game itself, it was assault of another person. If a spectator goes over the top and does the same to an opposition fan, can he plead, well your Honour I got a bit excited, its all part of being a supporter, as you well know. Guilty, sentence, you can't go to the next 8 games.

Sorry Dan I got you nick wrong. I'll correct it next time.

Dear Paul,

Smashing someone in the face and not only breaking their
jaw but their teeth - is not something that should be
taken lightly. I'm not sure about criminal charges - but
a more severe punishment than what's been given is
warranted in this case. His victim should possibly have
some input. The message should be put across that this type
of behaviour is not acceptable - no ifs and buts.

cont'd ...

Dear Paul,

I've just been corrected by my husband - who saw the incident
on TV - that the injured player was all over his opponent
to the point of being "in his face," and the opposition
player swung out at the annoying player's chest to push him
away - unfortunately, the annoying player bent his head down
at that instant and the fist collided with his head. That's the
way my husband saw it. And apparently that's also the way the
accused player described it as well. It didn't look like he
was trying to sock him in the face.

Unfortunately, these sort of tactics on the football field
frequently result in injuries. But apparently in this case -
it was an accident according to my husband - who watched it
all unfold on TV.

My NRL is no small game we have, from small country towns to city seen police charges laid this one we all saw was gutless and needs red card type intervention no you can not do just anything on the field

The victim's family doesn't want charges brought against the thug. Who would want a family like that!

I thought you would be recruiting him for Antifa Paul. They are total thugs usually wearing a mask.

Hi Foxy,

Here is the video so draw your own conclusions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3moXAvIBU

My concern is when and should the law of the land in what is a criminal matter take precedent over the shenanigans of the footy field etc. Incidentally if the police believe a criminal offence has taken place it is them, and not the victim that lays charges.
I do not believe participating in a sport negates your responsibility to act within the law. For those who advocate what happens on the footy field stays on the footy field I ask, what act of malice if any would require criminal prosecution.

runner, maybe it was a couple of those Catholic priests you love so much fighting over an alter boy!

yeah I realise Paul with you lefties its all about who you hate rather than the actions of a person. I mean the regressives did a great job turning a blind eye to Jimmy Saville and a multitude of other regressives abusing kids.

Typical of you grub, the religious hypocrite. You come on here and all you do is try and throw a personal slur at me, nothing to do with the conversation. I give a bit back and you don't like it, to hell with you "my friend", you can suck on it.

Dear runner,

And the types of christians you profess to belong to have turned a blind eye to your leaders buggering and raping their way through tens of thousands of Aussie kids without a peep from their superiors. Your point is?

Dear Paul1405,

You still haven't addressed the issue of assault occasioning bodily harm that occurs when boxers get in to a ring in a perfectly legal sport.

Given that any contact sport involves the risk of injury, potentially quite serious, why are you attempting to equate what happened in this instance with an ordinary assault within the community. While both of course require an appropriate sanction I'm not sure the equivalence argument sticks.

Yeah another Antifa supporter outrage by a footballer punching someone while supporting thugs hiding behind masks. No surprise from you steelie.

Paul 1405

Your lead did not state that the fracas occurred outside the field, as you now suggest.
But there are a couple of England test cricketers before the court in England right now.
They were involved in a punch up outside a night club in the early hours of the morning.
That's how it should be.
If this AFL assult occurred off field, then I support the notion of offence.

Try laying out the complete facts prior to picking people off over ignorance of the events, such as you seem to be doing here.
And I'm bewildered by your reference to cock fighting. I'm not in favour of cruelty to any animal, not even chooks!

Dear runner,

You wrote;

“Yeah another Antifa supporter outrage by a footballer punching someone while supporting thugs hiding behind masks.”

What does that gibberish even mean?

In fact I'm pretty sure you are clueless about it too. It's just a tourettes style discharge from your poisoned mouth intent on utterances which ultimately totally demean the faith of which you contend to adhere too.

You are doing the Devil's work here runner and I firmly believe you know that. How many do you turn or dissuade from Christianity on a daily basis? My goodness you will be certainly given a prime spot in Hell for all the work you have done on its behalf.

Steele, I take a different view of boxing, although not a supporter of the pugilist pursuit myself, believing it was a bloody contest of the poor for the entertainment of the rich. What a participant involves themselves in is clear to them before they engage in the contest. That is the rules allow for their bloody head to be knocked off. all within the rules. Unfortunately in my view society accepts boxing as such.

DD what I said was "In this case the whole episode was not in the context of the game, but took place remote from the game itself, it was assault of another person." I never said //outside the field//
I did say it took place away from the centre of action of the game itself.

The cock fighting was a slur after you tried to "greenie me". This has nothing to do with the Greens, its my personal opinion. Just as I do not equate everything you post with your membership of the KKK, should you be a member, please do not equate everything I post with my membership of the Greens.

How about answering my question;

I do not believe participating in a sport negates your responsibility to act within the law. For those who advocate what happens on the footy field stays on the footy field I ask, what act of malice if any would require criminal prosecution

If it's just football players thumping other football players, who gives a crap? Like lobsters, football players have very primitive central nervous systems, and probably don't have sufficiently complex brains to allow them to process pain.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/do-lobsters-feel-pain-2014-5?r=US&IR=T

Hi Toni,

I am rather "stunned" by those insenative findings. I have observed many a "lobster", late on scorching hot summers day on Bondi Beach. Not that they feel pain at that instant, but later that evening and the next day, well not withstanding their primitive nervous system, and the fact the didn't use the 50 plus, they certainly feel the pain.

“Cooking a lobster is like cooking a big bug” that's put me off lobsters for life! Larry Lobster, from the International Institute of Lobology would know, if anyone would know. Larry has dedicated his whole life to the study of Lobology.

Switzerland! is that not a land locked country high in the alps of Europe, whose people are struck dumb, because they don't have a Swiss language, only known for their yodelling. Maybe there is an advanced land dwelling lobster up that way, which only comes out at the call of the yodeller.

Let me present Switzerland's leading lobster catcher, Franz, its all in the lobster language. At least the lobsters die happy. Note the tables full of expectant diners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67rc96joOz8

Paul,

This time I agree with you. An unprovoked assault should be a criminal offence no matter where it occurs.

You would like to see lawyers and police involved in refereeing football games...
diver dan,
Police are there to protect criminals & Lawyers make the victims pay ?
That's the left for you.

Paul1405,
amazing, the Stage backdrop & the costume made Bill Shorten or is Malcolm Turnbull, unrecognisable speaking in Parliament.

Indy, your cynical view of Australia and its people is rather pathetic. This is a good decent country, whose people new and old, are by and large good decent people.

A little personal story for you.

Not that long ago I lost my wallet in the street while on my morning walk, containing cards, licence, cash etc. Being a cleaver chap I keep a card in my wallet with my name and phone number on it. A short time later I received a phone call from a Kensha telling me he's found my wallet. He told me where he worked, at a local car wash. I went there Kensha returned my wallet completely intact. Turns out Kensha is a Indian student, studying in Sydney, works (probably illegally) at the car wash. I offered him $50 as a thank you, he refused point blank to take it.
Now, since I suspect Kensha is working illegally here, do you think I should dob him in to Dutton.