New MRP standard set as Gray cops Christian’s first whack
Related Story: AFL's overhauled match review panel should see fewer suspensions in 2018
The moment he was appointed the AFL's new match review officer and put in charge of overhauling the MRP, Michael Christian would have known his first decision would be the most important.
Much of the criticism thrown at the match review panel over the years reflected its regular inconsistency, its refusal to make a call one week and stick to it the next, and the introduction of a lone judge was designed to address that.
So, like it or not, Christian's first ruling on a 50-50 case would naturally have to become his own personal standard. He would to be ready for that, but he may not have been expecting that critical moment to have come so soon.
Late in the first quarter of West Coast's narrow preseason win over Port Adelaide, when Robbie Gray's shoulder connected with Jeremy McGovern's face, Christian's radar would have immediately flashed. In the first week of the first round of preseason, the line in the sand had to be drawn.
Christian's verdict? High, careless contact with medium impact, and a one-week suspension.
"His eyes moved from the ball to McGovern and if he was genuinely contesting the ball, I would like to see his hands down contesting the ball rather than shaping to bump," Christian said.
"I think he had other alternatives rather than shaping to bump and bumping… the option was there to genuinely contest the ball and he elected not to.
"When you elect to bump you must do it fairly.
"And if you make contact with the head in a careless manner, then that is when there may well be a penalty forthcoming."
And there's your answer — if you brace for a bump, even in a split-second decision, and catch an opponent high, you will get a suspension.
The way Christian describes it makes it sound so black and white, but the instinct of many commentators and fans alike was that Gray was fairly contesting the ball, and ought to be cleared.
They will have to recalibrate their expectations for the rest of the season on this evidence.
That is, of course, assuming Christian does indeed maintain his consistency going forward. The true test will come when there is a Brownlow or a spot in the grand final on the line, and the pressure comes to overlook infractions for the perceived greater good.
It's not an easy job that Christian has embarked upon, and he is all but guaranteed to face more than his fair share of public criticism every Monday from now until September.
But the best thing he can do, whenever a case like this comes up, is pull out the footage of the Gray incident and refer to his very first judgement. As long as those same rules are applied for everyone, nobody will complain.
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