Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has urged AFL umpires to clamp down on incorrect disposals, arguing that a lack of reward for tacklers is putting players at greater risk of concussion.
Clarkson made the appeal after his side's 28-point loss to North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday - a game in which the Kangaroos lost both Shaun Higgins and Ed Vickers-Willis to concussion within the same passage of play.
A motionless Higgins was taken from the ground on a motorised stretcher and sent to hospital after a nasty third-quarter head collision with Hawthorn's Ryan Burton.
Vickers-Willis was also ruled out for the rest of the game after colliding with Harry Morrison moments later, with both incidents certain to be scrutinised on Monday by AFL match review officer Michael Christian.
Clarkson said the league should take into account the causes of congestion around the ball when examining such incidents.
"There's just so many incorrect disposals in the game of AFL footy," Clarkson said.
"We're treating the game as if we're playing a group of under-12's and they don't know how to kick, mark and handball.
"What's happened is that it just draws more (players) onto the ball, and we're getting more and more of these types of incidents.
"How many guys have we seen go off with blood rules and clash of heads and those sort of things? I think we could avoid some of them."
With Hawthorn set to face St Kilda next weekend, Clarkson was on hand to watch the Saints play Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
He claimed there were five instances during the 73-73 draw where Giants players incorrectly disposed of the ball in front of goal but were not penalised.
"At the minute, in my view, the game is 95 per cent about the ball-carrier and five per cent about the bloke that's trying to chase him," he said.
"Why they get that leg-up - because 'we've got to protect the player with the ball' - well, he's got the ball. Get rid of it the right way according to the rule book."
