Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley is still trying to wrap his head around teammate Charlie Cameron's three-match suspension for his tackle on Eagle Liam Duggan.
Cameron was cited by the Match Review Officer (MRO) for a "careless conduct, severe impact and high contact" action that left Duggan concussed and subsequently ruled out for a minimum of 12 days.
However, Dunkley, who was there at the scene of the crime, thought the gun small forward couldn't have executed a better tackle.
Charlie Cameron has been handed a three-match ban for this incident involving Liam Duggan.โฃ
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"I was right there as a player, and I didn't know the outcome, but I thought it was the perfect tackle," Dunkley said on Tuesday.
"I was telling him... he was a bit rattled by it instantly, but the I, the umpire and everyone was saying at the time that it was a perfect tackle.
"It's a very harsh penalty but I mean, what do you do?
"As a player these days, personally, I go into tackles now worried about what the outcome is going to be so you're very hesitant in what you're doing.
"And I feel like it's going to impact everyone else across the competition because guys are potentially going to hold back and I don't know if that's what we want."
SEE MORE: Lions, Giants make Tribunal call amid three-week bans
Duggan's teammate Elliot Yeo shared a similar view to Dunkley, declaring Cameron's punishment as "wrong".
"What's he supposed to do? Put a pillow under his head?" Yeo quizzed onย 96FM Perth.
"This is the confusing aspect now. There is such a fine line now. But we, as players, thought it was a normal tackle.
"There's no malice in it. There's nothing at all. Just a bit of unfortunate bad luck."
Cameron's suspension comes as fellow GWS small forward Toby Bedford also copped a three-week sentence for his tackle on Richmond's Tim Taranto, who unfortunately suffered the same fate as Duggan.
Bedford's tackle was perfectly executed but the tragic reality of another head injury has the MRO and AFL up in arms.
Could Toby Bedford be in some trouble with the MRO after this tackle on Tim Taranto?
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Dunkley thinks players are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"I personally think you can't do much different," Dunkley continued.
"Every week, as a player, we run out there knowing that we can get hurt and we don't expect anything less.
"We know it's a very physical game and at any stage can be injured or concussed.
"For me, it's just part of the game."
Cameron and the Lions are heading to the Tribunal to appeal the three-week layoff, which if it is upheld, will see the small forward miss the crucial clash with Sydney at the Gabba on Sunday, as well as matches against Gold Coast and St Kilda.
