Geelong star and Brownlow Medal favourite, Patrick Dangerfield faces a nervous wait for the Match Review Panel results, following a tackle on Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer on Saturday night which left the Blues' ruckman concussed and unable to return to the field for the remainder of the match.
Dangerfield had Kreuzer's arm pinned as his head hit the Etihad stadium turf in the third term.
The MRP has come down hard on dangerous tackles in recent years, however, speaking on Channel Seven's AFL Game Day, Dangerfield said he believes he will be given the all clear.
Matthew Kreuzer left the field after this Patrick Dangerfield tackle. #AFLCatsBlues pic.twitter.com/vhqAGto2xy
— AFL (@AFL) July 29, 2017
โI havenโt been cited for anything. In my opinion I was just tackling I felt it was a fair tackle,โ he said.
โI rolled the tackle so I wouldnโt give away a free kick for in the back. I thought that he still had the ball and that is why I turned around and put my hands in the air.
โThere was no umpireโs call at the time. So I donโt see an issue with it but it is not up to me.
โI didnโt know it was an issue until I walked off the ground. Obviously (I was asked by) media at the ground then I was briefed on it and said โI donโt know what you are talking about?โ.
โThen they played me vision. I donโt see an issue with it at all.
โIt wasnโt paid a free kick at all. Like I said, we will have to wait to see how it plays out.โ
Cats coach Chris Scott echoed Dangerfield's thoughts post-match last night.
โFor what itโs worth, what I saw, was him (Dangerfield) make a tackle, he was unaware if the ball had spilled out, so he tried to take the player to ground and roll him in the tackle to avoid the in the back free kick, which is exactly the way we coach it,โ Scott said.
โIt wasnโt a sling, thatโs for sure. I donโt think he deliberately drove him in to the ground. On that basis and what we have seen the last couple of years, I would expect that he would be fine.
โWhen a player is hurt, and goes off the ground, there is an extra dimension there that attracts scrutiny.
โBut I think the powers that be have been very clear that the severity of any injury only comes in to play when you acknowledge that there has been a breach of the rules. And I just donโt see that when I watch it."
Dangerfield kicked two goals and had 23 disposals as the Cats ran out 65-point winners, remaining in second position on the ladder.
