'What we hate about soccer': AFL greats call for crackdown as issue 'creeps' into the game

Brownlow Medallists Jimmy Bartel and James Hird have called for the AFL to crack down on players grabbing their heads after being tackled, trying to draw a free kick.

The pair believe the issue is creeping into the game, particularly as the league has begun paying more free kicks for sling tackles.

Brisbane's Lachie Neale and Carlton's Adam Cerra came under the microscope recently. The pair grabbed their heads after being slung to the ground, but both played on and weren't tested for concussion immediately.

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Both players' heads clearly hit the turf and the tackler in both cases was suspended for one game. Neither was attempting to draw a free kick.

But Bartel says he has seen others attempting to do just that.

"Players who grab their head after being tackled, now, I'm not saying it didn't hurt and all that, but we spoke about this earlier in the week regarding concussion," Bartel told Nine's Eddie and Jimmy podcast.

"If you're grabbing your head, and you stay down, you can't look up (for the free kick) and then play on the next 15 minutes.

"We're seeing a bit of that creep in."

Hird went a step further, saying any player who grabs their head after a tackle must come from the ground and undergo a 20-minute concussion test.

"If someone grabs their head, you're of and get a test, son," Hird said.

"They'll stop doing it if they have to spend 20 minutes on the bench.

"It's what we hate about soccer. Guys deliberately fall over, roll around so the ref will give a yellow card. We don't want that in our game.

"If a player comes off holding their head, you're off for 20 minutes (for a concussion test)."

Hird, who is an assistant coach at VFL side Port Melbourne, said they are teaching players not tackle in every circumstance, given how easy it is now to give away a free kick for high contact or a sling, and how good players are becoming at drawing those infringements.

"I think if a player deliberately drops their head or raises their shoulder, the umpires are getting a lot smarter," Hird said.

"The work we're doing at Port Melbourne at the moment, we're actually telling players not to tackle sometimes and just pretend to tackle, and the player will fall over.

"We've given instructions that if you go and (the player you're tackling) starts to (drop) just back off a bit and watch him fall over, and he does, they fall over because you give away so many head high tackles.

"We gave away 13 head high tackles one week. It just made me furious. I was like, 'boys, come on'."