"HURDLING" IN FOOTBALL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 182, 25 July 1921, Page 5

"HURDLING" IN FOOTBALL.

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE.

It is not so many years since a wellknown Hawke's Bay footballer met his death on the football field, the death being caused by a broken neck when the player was tackled while attempting to “hurdle.” The practice pays if successful, but is extremely dangerous, and a number of present players would do well to remember this, also that they are supposed to be merely at play, where it would be mere advisable to risk losing a score than to risk serious injury. The danger has often been impressed on players, and it is fairly certain that very little sympathy would be wasted on any player coming to grief in this manner. In both scores gained by Taradale against Maritime in the League gamp in Napier on Saturday exhibitions of this practice were seen. The first offender was Atkins, who had only the full-back ro pass, and deliberately hurdled, a rather selfish piece of work when he had one of his own side in support, and would in any case have deserved the credit for :> good try. The second case occurred when Casey secured near tho line. There was certainly some excuse for him in taking a- risk, as the movement had been so fast that ho had no support.