It was early in the last quarter and the game was slipping away from the Bombers when Courtenay Dempsey was penalised for what appeared to be a fair tackle on Andrew Gaff.

The Eagles midfielder received a handball and was running from defence when he was met by Dempsey. 

Acting Umpires Director Luke Ball said the umpire made the correct decision in awarding a free kick to Gaff.

“We think this is a correct call under the current interpretations of the rule that have obviously been tightened in the last couple of years due to the impact of concussion,” Ball told the AFL website.

“Although Andrew Gaff probably slightly leaves the ground as he enters the tackle, Courtenay Dempsey – who is a really good tackler, it must be said – probably accentuates the lift and then tips Gaff into a pretty vulnerable position.”

Gaff was able to immediately to take his free-kick.

Ball said umpires are looking for more than just a slinging motion when deciding if a tackle is dangerous or not.

“What the umpires are looking for is a player being tackled in a vulnerable position where his arms are pinned, or as you can see there, the lift and the slight turn, or whether the player is driven into the ground with excessive force,” Ball said.