This week's Rule of the Week

Despite repeated emphatic denials by AFL executives, further evidence tonight in the North-Carlton game that there is a Rule of the Week.

Tonight, for the first time in our recollection, players caught with the ball and punching it to indicate "a genuine attempt to get rid of the ball" were penalised because they were, to quote the umpires, "punching the ball to themselves". We heard this from two separate umpires, so it has to be assumed it is an instruction rather than an idiosyncratic expression.

We don't have a problem with this new interpretation in general, but there are caveats. If the ball is being held in by an opponent, there should be no free kick.

Our big problem with the interpretation is that it hasn't applied previously in this season. The rule has to be that a free kick interpretation for round one of the pre-season is exactly the same as the free kick interpretation in the last thirty seconds of the Grand Final. This interpretation has appeared out of nowhere for round 19. It's just not good enough.

Release the Giesch!!!!