that nasty acts of violence on a sports field were somehow acceptable.

The roaming gaze of high-definition television cameras and changing community expectations have helped to reduce violence on sports fields in recent decades and this is a welcome development,

particularly in Australian Rules football.

The change is evident in the way the community and AFL clubs have reacted to on-field violence, with this season presenting some pertinent incidents.

Over the weekend Geelong player Cameron Ling had his cheekbone fractured by the high arm action of Fremantle footballer, Dean Solomon.

It was a sickening to watch on television replays and it brought to mind an incident from earlier in the year when Swans player Barry Hall punched West Coast player Brent Staker in the jaw, knocking

him out.

Hall was dealt with by the AFL tribunal, and for a more recent one in which he lashed out at a Collingwood opponent. Now his club has determined Hall needs time to sort out his anger problems. It shows

the club is mindful of Hall's mental wellbeing, and of community expectations.

A couple of weeks ago an amateur footballer in north-east Victoria was jailed for having ``king hit'' an opponent.

The offending player thought he'd been dealt with harshly, but had he engaged in similar behaviour off the football field he would have received the same penalty.

For some reason he seemed to think being on a football oval meant that certain standards of civilised behaviour did not apply.

This is outdated thinking. Sport in itself is about rules. Rules define the sport and the way it is played. It is about creating an environment where all is equal except ability, fitness and desire to win.

To seek an advantage through unfair play is the antithesis of a sporting contest.

The AFL's move to protect players going for the ball and in particular contact with players' heads is sensible, if at times difficult to umpire. From a medical perspective it makes sense, it is also essential

for the sport's long-term future.

Parents deliberating over which sport to enroll their children in will doubtless consider the risks involved and the culture of the sport.

So it is imperative that Australian Rules football as a code does all it can to protect fair players from being attacked by those not playing within the rules or spirit of the game. That means heavily

penalising players who make reckless, or deliberate, contact with an opponent's head.