The Bump is dead…long live The Bump (but for how long?)

 

In the space of a minute, two players went from running havoc for North Melbourne to sprawling on the deck after being jarringly met by Hawthorn opponents. Ed Vickers-Willis was the second player to go down and the first to regain his feet after a head-clash. New father Shaun Higgins was the other.

 

The sickening vision of Higgins’ body falling like a marionette clipped of its strings was the result of Ryan Burton’s bump catching him unawares…on the head.

 

There has been much chatter following the incident. This morning Craig Little has spoken in The Guardian on the big picture fan appraisal of toughness in footy that seems welded to the bump. You can read it here.

 

Clearly these incidents are terribly affecting, but is there appetite for significant change? Or is the culture of footy so ingrained that the so-called “thoughts and prayers” response all that can be reasonably expected? Where to now for the bump? Let us know what you think below.

 

 

Comments

  1. Dave Brown says

    It’s a part of footy that needs to change in response to our greater knowledge of the impact of head injuries. Particularly in the context of a fully professional game where players are bigger, stronger and faster. No doubt there’s a large element of luck when a player commits to contesting a footy but the moment a player chooses to bump, if they don’t do it properly then see ya later. I don’t see how the AFL can be serious about protecting the head and hold any other view.

  2. Agree wholeheartedly with Browny ^ ^ ^

    If you choose to bump, you suffer the consequences.

  3. I don’t really see why Burton went the bump in this case, he could have had Higgins cold HTB. Will get weeks and rightly so.

  4. What a difference 4 hours makes…astoundingly Burton gets nothing

  5. Michael Christian may be re-assessing his decision to take the job on. Must be taking a lot of his time.

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