Sam Lalor concussion: Matthew Lloyd says West Coast’s Reuben Ginbey should come under scrutiny for pushing
An AFL great has called for West Coast’s Reuben Ginbey to come under scrutiny for a push that left Richmond’s No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor in concussion protocols.
Playing in his first competitive hit-out in Tigers colours, Lalor impressed in the practice match at Mineral Resources Park before suffering a late hit in the dying minutes of the game.
Lalor was attempting to spoil a marking contest but arrived late, with his head colliding with the body of Sandy Brock.
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It prompted Hall of Famer Matthew Lloyd to thrust the spotlight on Ginbey’s involvement in the collision, believing the Eagles’ rising star pushed Lalor into the contest to make him vulnerable.
“Has to be looked at that incident from Ginbey on Lalor,” Lloyd wrote on X.
“Lalor in such a vulnerable position and the ball player needs to be protected. A form of tunneling [sic].”
Tunnelling is covered in the laws of the game though currently refers to bumping an airborne player in an attempt to unbalance them.
Brisbane’s Eric Hipwood was fined for tunnelling Sydney’s Nick Blakey in July last year while North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey received a one-match ban in 2022 for tunnelling Carlton’s Lewis Young.
In both incidents, Blakey and Young were able to play out the game.
Post-game Richmond said they would be monitoring the 18-year-old and will be tested for concussion.
“He’s got a bit of a sore jaw at the moment, so he’s currently in concussion (testing) protocols,” Richmond head of development Sam Lonergan told reporters.
“We’ll just wait and see what that looks like and then hopefully find out pretty quickly over the next 24 hours.”
The protocols will see Lalor ruled out of next Wednesday’s final practice clash against Collingwood at Ikon Park.
But the top draft pick would be cleared to return for the Tigers’ season opener against Carlton on March 13, which comes 17 days after his hit.
Lonergan said Lalor had been “great” before his late setback.
“He played a little bit in the midfield and spent some time forward, which was fantastic, and contributed in both areas of the ground,” he said.
