Jack Higgins suspension: St Kilda star's tackle on Aliir Aliir sparks fierce debate among AFL community 

Fierce debate sparked among the AFL community following Jack Higgins' tackle on Aliir Aliir in the Round 7 clash between Port Adelaide and St Kilda.

The two teams clashed at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, April 26, with the Power emerging victorious by 10 points. However, Higgin's tackle on Aliir, which left the Power defender concussed, was one of the major talking points.

The St Kilda star slung into Aliir, who went down hard with his head, slamming into the ground. The crash led to Aliir's substitution from the game after failing a concussion test.

Following the incident, Higgins was slapped with a three-match ban. However, the incident led to a fierce debate among AFL fans and ex-players alike. While many condemned Jack Higgins for the harsh tackle, others believe Aliir should take some blame for the landing.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s halftime show, ex-Hawthorn midfielder Jordan Lewis opined that Aliir could have protected himself had he held the ball in as the tackle was being made. He said (via news.com.au):

"I feel for Higgins. If Aliir Aliir understands that he’s being tackled and doesn’t then try to kick the ball, then there’s probably no case to answer for.

“If you’re looking at what player’s contribute to that, I think it’s 50/50, I think Aliir contributes 50% of that force by going to the ground trying to dispose the ball.”

Former Melbourne Demons skipper Garry Lyon supported Lewis' view on the tackle, adding that Higgins tried to kick the footy, which made him unbalanced heading into the tackle.

“It’s a very interesting point. I thought that Higgins would get a week every day, but the fact that he tried to kick the footy means he was more off balance than he perhaps would’ve been,” Lyon said.

However, AFL Legend Nathan Buckley wasn't buying Lewis and Lyon's opinion, directing all the blame at Higgins. He said:

“I would love that to be the case, but the fact is that the duty of care is slated to the tackler, which means Higgins is responsible for any negative impact of it."

Jack Higgins's tackle was graded careless conduct, high contact and severe impact by the match review officer, which led to a heavy suspension.

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Which games will Jack Higgins miss after being handed a three-game ban?

St Kilda's Jack Higgins has been handed a three-match ban for his tackle on Port Adelaide's Aliir Aliir when the sides clashed in Round 7 of the 2024 AFL season on Friday, April 26.

Higgins plunged the Power defender to the ground during the second term, leaving him concussed due to the impact. It was a dangerous tackle and the Saints forward will now miss his side's next three games.

The Saints will face North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Fremantle in their upcoming matches scheduled for May 4, 11, and 18 respectively.