Australian rules shot icon Leigh Matthews has sympathised with AFL lucifer reappraisal serviceman Michael Christian amid a barrage of scathing attacks.
St Kilda large Leigh Montagna is among those who've accused Christian of inconsistency connected the backmost of 2 decisions made this week, involving Geelong's Tom Hawkins and the Western Bulldogs' Zaine Cordy.
While Hawkins escaped without immoderate punishment for a tackle that near St Kilda's Darragh Joyce concussed, Cordy was deed with a $2000 good for a near-identical enactment against Hawthorn's Jacob Koschitzke, who played on.
Hawkins and Cordy some drove the ball-carrier hard into the crushed from down head-first, yet Christian made antithetic rulings connected the incidents.
"How you benignant it retired is the large problem," Matthews said connected SEN.
"The Tom Hawkins 1 past week is the existent good enactment one, wasn't it? I'm much than blessed that that was regarded arsenic accidental alternatively than careless.
"If you respect it arsenic Tom's being careless, past he's apt to get a week oregon two.
"But determination is specified a good enactment betwixt these.
"Every present and then, an umpire volition regularisation on-field that it's a unsafe tackle. Now that's due to the fact that the caput mightiness person made immoderate interaction with the ground.
"Any tackle if the caput hits the crushed hard, you ... mightiness beryllium successful occupation with the judiciary.
"What's an assertive tackle and what's a unsafe tackle is truthful good line. It's going to beryllium a nightmare, I reckon, for the lucifer reappraisal serviceman and the judiciary.
"You're going to get radical who are lucky, oregon unlucky."
Cordy smashes Koschitzke successful disfigured tackle
Montagna was near dumbfounded astatine Christian's mixed rulings.
"I can't judge this. So Tom Hawkins has not been charged for this – thing to answer. Yet Zaine Cordy laid a akin tackle but he's been fined," Montagna said.
"Tell maine however that's antithetic to Tom Hawkins erstwhile really he's got the football? He's been sanctioned for that but Tom Hawkins has not been sanctioned for his tackle.
"This is ridiculous, this has gone to a full caller level of inconsistent and confusing.
"All year, we've been conditioned that it's outcome-based. So generally, if you've wounded idiosyncratic oregon they've been concussed, we cognize you're successful strife
"What is going on?"
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