Life Ban? Try five months.
What is the FFA thinking? Vukovic's ban has been reduced to five months. But that’s not all. It has been cut in half so as to coincide with the Olympic Games, and thus allow him to compete. That is absolutely and inexplicably unacceptable.
What a pathetic display of parenting shown here by the officials. Their little boy has hit an uncle, but instead of their initial punishment of a month grounded he has bitched and moaned about it enough that they’ve caved and given him a week but he’s still allowed to go to his friend’s birthday party on Friday night.
Does this teach him anything? Vukovic is apparently above the law now. The rules don’t apply to him. The maximum sentence is a life ban. I personally don’t think anything under 12 months is adequate. This is a serious offence that needs to be discouraged at all costs. Striking a match official. There aren’t many more serious charges then that. Our referee’s cop enough verbally, for them to be physically struck is, for the want of a better synonym, unacceptable.
And I would like to point out that this is solely the FFA’s fault. Other codes take this very seriously. A young rugby union player was banned for five years for hitting a referee. Clubs in Europe have had huge fines imposed upon them and even matches abandoned when debris is thrown from the stands. Imagine what would occur if a player hit an official.
Twice this year a player has been charged with Striking a Match Official in the A-League. Joel Griffiths in Round 7 and now Danny Vukovic in the Grand Final. Neither player has received real punishment.
Firstly, Griffiths, who disagreed with the linesman’s call on the throw in, decided to lash out and hit his groin Really Long Link Griffiths was booked by Matthew Breeze and this was deemed sufficient by the FFA. A yellow card and no further action was needed. Griffiths went on to win the A-League 07/08 Best and Fairest.
Secondly, Vukovic, who ran to the opposite end of the pitch from his goal to protest a decision not to award a penalty. This alone is ridiculous. When Mark Shield explained his position and maintained no penalty, as referees will always do, I don’t think there has been a single penalty given or ungiven by a mass of opposing players around him, Vukovic decides to return to his goal but on his way past, violently strikes Shield’s raised right arm Really Long Link Vukovic will now serve the vast majority of his five month ban in the off season and will most likely be headed to Beijing as the number one keeper for the Olyroos.
It’s all a case of circumstance. Would it be different for Griffiths if he wasn’t having the best season and being the centre-piece of the Jets champion team? Would it be different for Vukovic if it weren’t an Olympic year and his services were not required during the winter? Call me sceptical, but I personally am quite sure the answer would to both questions would be in the affirmative.
What a pathetic display of parenting shown here by the officials. Their little boy has hit an uncle, but instead of their initial punishment of a month grounded he has bitched and moaned about it enough that they’ve caved and given him a week but he’s still allowed to go to his friend’s birthday party on Friday night.
Does this teach him anything? Vukovic is apparently above the law now. The rules don’t apply to him. The maximum sentence is a life ban. I personally don’t think anything under 12 months is adequate. This is a serious offence that needs to be discouraged at all costs. Striking a match official. There aren’t many more serious charges then that. Our referee’s cop enough verbally, for them to be physically struck is, for the want of a better synonym, unacceptable.
And I would like to point out that this is solely the FFA’s fault. Other codes take this very seriously. A young rugby union player was banned for five years for hitting a referee. Clubs in Europe have had huge fines imposed upon them and even matches abandoned when debris is thrown from the stands. Imagine what would occur if a player hit an official.
Twice this year a player has been charged with Striking a Match Official in the A-League. Joel Griffiths in Round 7 and now Danny Vukovic in the Grand Final. Neither player has received real punishment.
Firstly, Griffiths, who disagreed with the linesman’s call on the throw in, decided to lash out and hit his groin Really Long Link Griffiths was booked by Matthew Breeze and this was deemed sufficient by the FFA. A yellow card and no further action was needed. Griffiths went on to win the A-League 07/08 Best and Fairest.
Secondly, Vukovic, who ran to the opposite end of the pitch from his goal to protest a decision not to award a penalty. This alone is ridiculous. When Mark Shield explained his position and maintained no penalty, as referees will always do, I don’t think there has been a single penalty given or ungiven by a mass of opposing players around him, Vukovic decides to return to his goal but on his way past, violently strikes Shield’s raised right arm Really Long Link Vukovic will now serve the vast majority of his five month ban in the off season and will most likely be headed to Beijing as the number one keeper for the Olyroos.
It’s all a case of circumstance. Would it be different for Griffiths if he wasn’t having the best season and being the centre-piece of the Jets champion team? Would it be different for Vukovic if it weren’t an Olympic year and his services were not required during the winter? Call me sceptical, but I personally am quite sure the answer would to both questions would be in the affirmative.
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