The goal isn’t to flatten opponents any more – it’s to outplay them.
Why bump when you can tackle, smother, or shepherd to protect a teammate?
The AFL’s match review officer Michael Christian ruled Tom Stewart’s bump on Gold Coast skipper Noah Anderson was within the rules.Credit: Fox Footy
Sometimes the bump works, like when Geelong’s Stewart collected Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson last weekend, but it’s a gamble. But if Anderson had been concussed, Stewart would’ve missed weeks. If Anderson slipped at the last second, he might have copped a shoulder to the head, and there would have been little Stewart could have done to control that. Stewart had other options: intercepting a dribbling ball or tackling if Anderson had control.
Joel Amartey bumped Jordan Boyd in round 10, resulting in concussion and a suspension. On Sunday night, Durham was second to the ball – he should’ve waited for Cerra and then tackled. Instead, he bumped, with consequences.
So why would players cling to this old action as the game moves forward?
Suspensions mean time off the field and letting your team down – worse, a bump risks lifelong harm to an opponent. We will make mistakes, but how far we go wrong is what counts.
The Blues remonstrate with Sam Durham and his Bombers’ teammates after Adam Cerra was crunched by Sam Durham.Credit: AFL Photos
When I approach a contest, I’m not thinking about cleaning someone up with a bump. I focus on what we train: stutter steps to slow my speed, stay agile, and react to tiny changes. Before I arrive, I assess the numbers – do I need to contest or is a teammate better placed? If I’m close, I read how my opponent approaches – front-on or side-on – then decide how to contest safely, avoiding frees or injury risks.
That aggressive body-on-body hit? It’s disappearing – at least in bump form. Stewart’s teammate Mitch Duncan said coaches are actively teaching players to avoid those high-risk actions.
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That’s not to say I won’t put my body on the line like most AFL and AFLW players. It’s not about courage or toughness. We all want to win. We all have white-line fever – the drive for teammates and club. But let’s do it with elite skills – in the air, on the ground, and with precise tackles. Let’s play as we train, guided by specialist coaches every day.
Some say it’s instinct to protect yourself in collisions, like when Essendon’s Peter Wright took out Sydney’s Harry Cunningham last year. But that shoulder bump wasn’t instinct – it was a choice. He got four matches. That’s no longer a footy action. Spoiling the mark would’ve been the right play.
Instinct can be trained. When I hear “it’s just instinct,” I wonder, would you do that to a teammate at training? No. We don’t train to bump or sling tackle. We train to win the ball cleanly and protect each other.
So why do it in a game if you’d never do it in training?
Being tough and uncompromising is still footy – but it can be done without knocking someone out or missing weeks.
Brayden Maynard’s attempt to smother in the 2023 qualifying final against Melbourne, while cleared by the AFL tribunal as a football action, resulted in a bump which left Angus Brayshaw with lifelong consequences.
This isn’t something we train; it’s what happens when heat overrides discipline. Collingwood recruit Dan Houston did something similar in round four of this year against Carlton and was suspended for two matches. I’m sure he and many others didn’t mean to cause any harm, but fast decisions in a heated contest carry high risks.
Discipline matters – the best players are brave and disciplined. They stick to the process: win the ball, be physical, and be smart. Mistakes happen, but the goal is to win safely and skilfully – for your health and your opponents’.
The game’s future is at stake
This isn’t just about individual actions. It’s about protecting the future.
Angus Brayshaw’s AFL career ended prematurely because of concussion.Credit: Archives
The AFL faces concussion lawsuits from former players. We’ve lost incredible athletes, including Brayshaw, too early due to repeated head trauma. His retirement was alarming – he loved the game but had to protect his brain health. This is a real risk, not just missing games, but living with conditions like CTE linked to repeated head knocks. We can’t ignore this. It’s preventable – if we make better choices now.
Serious injuries will always happen in our sport, but we must control what we can.
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Parents and kids watch. We want the next generation to love footy – not turn away from it. We want them to know footy can be safe, exciting, physical, and skilful all at once.
It starts with us – AFLW and AFL players. We are role models. What we do is copied on local fields across the country. Let’s show them the right way.
The game is in great shape: fast, skilful, physical, and evolving. We can adapt or be left behind.
So, yes, I choose not to bump.
Because I choose to play smarter.
I choose to stay on the park.
I choose to protect my teammates, my opponents, and the future of our game.
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