NORTH Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has said that the club is “extremely disappointed” with comments made by the League during the week that match review gradings could potentially be reviewed at the end of the year.
The rigid match review model has been a contentious talking point all week following the three-match suspension to North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis for his tackle on Port Adelaide’s Josh Sinn in round seven.
The League’s footy boss, Laura Kane, made comments on radio during the week suggesting that this incident may lead to the severity of suspensions being changed before next season.
“It doesn’t make sense that the AFL come out and say, ‘Oh we might change that at the end of the year’,” Clarkson said following his side’s three-point loss to Essendon on Thursday night.
“It doesn’t help us. We’re really disappointed with that, really disappointed. Because really strong leadership would say, ‘We understand it’s wrong, and we’ll change it right now’.
“He (Curtis) shouldn’t be missing three weeks of footy.”
Curtis would have been a handy addition to the Kangaroos in the heartbreaking loss after they challenged Essendon for most of the match.
Asked whether he missed having his small forward out there against the Bombers, Clarkson spoke to Curtis’ strong start to the season before continuing with his disapproval of the suspension.
“It’s not just what he can do offensively for us, as we saw in last week’s game particularly against Port Adelaide, but right throughout the course of the year.
“In my view, he’s nearly the best tackler in the competition. It’s a shame that that part of our game is getting questioned, it’s a feature of our game.
“We understand there’s a duty to care, but there’s a duty of care to the game.”
For Essendon coach Brad Scott, it was another close victory for his side that now has them with four wins next to its name.
But the win came at a cost for the Bombers, with a number of injuries to key players.
“It was carnage there, in the second half in particular,” Scott said.
The Bombers lost Jordan Ridley to a hamstring injury, Harrison Jones with what Scott described to be a “dislocated ankle” and Jade Gresham to a groin injury.
“The Jones one … I mean dislocated ankle is the minimum. He’ll go to hospital and have further assessments and see if there’s any further damage there. He’s in a fair bit of pain and his ankle’s pointing the wrong way,” Scott said.
For the injury-prone Ridley, the hamstring injury was a downer to the Bombers defender in his 100th game.
“Ridley, hamstring, fresh injury, unrelated to anything he’s had prior. He’s had a hamstring injury before but to the other leg … Hopefully that’s not too serious,” Scott said.
“Gresham couldn’t come back on late with a bit of adductor tightness. So we’ll get that checked and get it assessed and get back to you.”
Scott was quick to praise his skipper Zach Merrett, who was easily best on ground for his team against North Melbourne.
The Essendon coach likened Merrett to Collingwood great, Nathan Buckley.
“He reminds me so much of Nathan Buckley in his will to win. He’s so driven,” Scott said.
“He works on his craft every day. He’s always seeking to get better. Every time he comes into the NEC hangar, he is just, ‘I’m here to get better’, and he expects that of his teammates.
“I think that the other part of his game that has developed enormously is his leadership both on and off the field. He’s always been a very good player at AFL level, but now he’s taking others with him.
“He’s not just content to be, you know, the best player on the ground. He wants to drag others with him.”
The Bombers now have an nine day break before they play Sydney at Marvel Stadium next Saturday, while the Roos will lick their wounds and go again in 10 days’ time when they face Brisbane in Hobart next Sunday.
