With controversy swirling around Jack Viney’s Tribunal decision, the role of the bump and the general state of the game, Drew Petrie penned an open letter to the footballing community on the AFL Exchange podcast.

Viney is to set to appeal a two-match ban on Thursday for a hit on Adelaide’s Tom Lynch during Round 7.

PRESS PLAY above to listen to the letter.

Dear AFL world,

We play a full-body contact sport, and wear basically no protective equipment at all.

We train to run as fast as we can for as long as we can. We have to jump and land, twist and turn, run backwards into oncoming traffic.

We as players know the risks, we as players accept the risks. We as players accept that accidents happen.

If there were any great concerns about the mentioned situations, then players would voice them. From time to time, we do.

In light of the Viney incident and the injury report the AFL released this week, there is no need for hysteria. The game does not need to be changed to try to prevent injury or collision.

Yours sincerely,
Drew Petrie