Wayne Carey jumps ship to rival footy code as North legend blasts AFL over 'absolute joke'

Wayne Carey is so fed up with the state of the AFL that he's resorted to promoting NRL and State of Origin. The North Melbourne legend has joined a chorus of critics blasting the AFL over suspensions handed down to Charlie Cameron and Toby Bedford this week, which were both upheld at the tribunal on Tuesday night.

Cameron and Bedford both failed to overturn their three-game suspensions, which have been labelled way too harsh by a hoard of current and former players. The Brisbane Lions and GWS Giants are both considering taking the cases to the AFL appeals board.

On Tuesday night, Carey lashed out over the sanctions given to Cameron and Bedford, writing on social media: "Charlie C gets 3 weeks for a tackle in that way is an absolute joke!! AFLPA do something please." He later wrote: "Bedford had better get off or game is stuffed."

After both players were unsuccessful at the tribunal, Carey effectively jumped ship to the NRL and wrote: "Bring on State of Origin. It hasn’t lost its DNA."

Carey was in a similar position earlier this year when he vowed not to watch any AFL for the duration of Peter Wright's suspension. The Essendon ruckman was hit with a four-game ban for a high bump, and Carey boycotted the AFL for the time he was sidelined.

AFL world left fuming over Cameron and Bedford suspensions

During both hearings on Tuesday night, the AFL's lawyer Lisa Hannon argued Cameron and Bedford should have released the arms of their opponents and been more careful when tackling. "The fact Cameron's foot may've become entangled with Duggan's was entirely foreseeable and not an exceptional circumstance in a close up tackle," said Hannon, who also told Bedford he should have acted in similar fashion.

Cameron's teammate Josh Dunkley and Bedford's captain Toby Greene have both expressed their bewilderment at the suspensions. "When I first saw it, I was standing next to (Richmond's) Nathan Broad and having a discussion about it, we saw the replay and thought if Tim (Toranto) is concussed then they might give it a week and then you'd probably challenge it," Greene told Fox Footy on Tuesday night.

"'Once he got three weeks, it doesn't seem right to me, he's making a legitimate play. I feel like this is overstepping the mark. This is a tackle that you're going to see in AFL footy for the next 50 years. If you eradicate this, you're just going to have to tackle standing up."

Clint Wheeldon of the ABC labelled the suspensions a “disgrace”. He wrote on social media: “If you defend this decision – go and participate in nothing more physical than Hungry, Hungry Hippos. But only with protective glasses on, because there’s a slight risk one of the plastic balls might hit you.”

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Kane Cornes also called Bedford’s suspension “disgraceful”, while Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown said: “What has happened to our great game? It’s getting into troubling territory for me. It’s just astonishing, I know where we’re going as a game, we’re trying to protect the head but what in the hell is Toby Bedford meant to do?

"We are allowed to tackle in our game, I feel bad for Tim Taranto, but we are starting to eat in to the fabric of our game. I’m telling him 'mate don’t pursue and don’t tackle, I’d rather have you playing for us instead of missing the next three weeks'. Concussion crusaders, be careful what you wish for… this is a crossroads moment.”