Tom Morris: One simple fix for MRO system that has become 'rigid, static and a relic of the past'

When the AFL disbanded the old match review process and appointed Michael Christian as its sole decision-maker in late 2017, football was brutal and uncompromising.

It remains so, but not at all costs like it once was.

At the time of his appointment, Christian took the Match Review Officer gig amid a bumping revolution. With the league understandably petrified of litigation and concussions more feared than ever, players have come to understand that bumping carries additional risks.

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They are permitted to do so, but if their opponent suffers a head injury, they are in trouble.

The same applies to tackling in 2025. Essentially it's 'go ahead but if you get it marginally wrong, bad luck'.

The origins of today's tackling laws can be traced back to early 2020, when the AFL changed its rules on the run to protect the ball player, and punish the tackler.

Nowadays, footballers almost never sling their opponents, rarely drive them into the ground, and are showing more care than ever.

Where clubs used to teach players to ride their opposition into the ground and 'tackle to hurt,' they are now educating them to keep their feet and avoid excessive force.

Yes, there were teething problems for a few years. In 2020 there were just five dangerous tackle suspensions. But in 2023, there were more than 30 across the entire season.

The potential to cause serious injury meant Christian often elevated 'low impact' to 'medium impact.'

The crackdown was imperfect, took time and had ample collateral damage. But for the AFL, it was worth it. The importance of player safety increased like a lawyer's invoice.

This year, Melbourne's Aiden Johnson copped a week for a dangerous tackle against GWS, but overall players have adapted. They've had no choice.

And while players have moved with the times, the match review system has not. It remains rigid, static and a relic of the past.

Christian operates within parameters which are far too narrow. It forces him to determine whether an incident is three weeks or zero.

This alone is utter madness. In no world does it make sense for Paul Curtis to miss three weeks or none.

But these are the guidelines Christian operates under. When it comes to these incidents, he's in a straightjacket, unable to break free.

Even the most casual observer would surely concede this is a nonsensical way to do business.

So how do we fix it but keep the matrix largely intact?

It's simple, add a column.

You can call it whatever you want, but for this purpose we will name it 'low level careless'.

This is an action which is borderline accidental, such as Curtis' tackle, and will only come into play under the dangerous tackle and bump provisions

So when assessing an incident like Curtis' - which saw him slapped with a three-game ban - Christian would have more scope to hand a financial sanction or even a one-match penalty to Curtis.

The distinction between 'intentional' and 'careless' is essentially akin to football and non-football acts anyway.

Intentional is a punch to the face behind the play, while careless is a bump or tackle gone wrong.

By adding this third dimension, it no longer becomes a case of 3 versus 0 for Christian to adjudicate.

There will be those who argue this adds another layer of unwanted complexity. But would you like to see Curtis miss a semi-final, preliminary final and grand final for a tackle which straddles careless and accidental?

Players could get one low level careless tackle or bump per year, which warrants a fine. But a second similar incident could be treated as it is now.

Sling tackles, such as Nathan Broad's on Patrick Parnell in 2023, would remain four weeks.

It's hyperbolic to say the system is broken, but it's certainly outdated. One simple fix would solve its most glaring problem.

Bumping and tackling has changed considerably since 2017. It's time the AFL's processes move with it.