Geelong captain Joel Selwood is in trouble for his “chicken wing” tackle, despite the strong support of rival AFL coaches Brad and Chris Scott.
Footage of the incident in the second term on Saturday night looks bad for Selwood.
The Cats star grabbed Sam Wright in a tackle and locked the North Melbourne player’s right arm as they went to ground.
Wright’s teammate Jamie Macmillan immediately rushed in and pushed Selwood away.
Wright was clearly upset and spoke to the umpire as he gingerly flexed his arm afterwards.
It is three years since Carlton star Chris Judd received a four-game suspension at the AFL tribunal for his chicken wing tackle on North’s Leigh Adams.
But North coach Brad Scott joined his twin brother Chris, the Cats coach, in strongly defending Selwood.
“All players are coached now to try and pin an arm, because the umpires are so hot on illegal disposals,” Brad Scott said.
“That’s almost second nature to players now.
“To me, Selwood couldn’t see where the ball was, he pinned the arm, nothing more, nothing less.
“I spoke to Sam about it and he said ‘yeah, no drama whatsoever’.”
Despite the heated reaction to the tackle, Brad Scott said none of his players would have a problem with what Selwood did.
“We always look to support our teammates, whether it’s a legal tackle where a player gets hammered,” he said.
“We try to assert our dominance in a contest and try to get things back on our terms.
“We don’t want to get bullied, so all clubs would do that.
“But I don’t think any player … in our club would have an issue with that.”
Chris Scott called it a very minor incident.
“I don’t think I have a problem with it at all,” he said.
“He pinned an arm in the tackle, it happens all the time.
“In fact, the players are coached to do that.
“Most people who watch a bit of footy would acknowledge that pinning one arm in the tackle is good technique.
“The way the game is adjudicated now, if you pin one arm, unless the player can kick it, the umpires are paying a free kick.”
North forward Drew Petrie also faces match review panel scrutiny for an incident off the ball in the third term involving Cats backman Andrew Mackie.
