It's sick and scary - but why do we get punch-drunk on footy violence?

It was a bloody good punch.

It’s not the politically correct response and it can never be publicly condoned, but  it was as clean a punch as had ever been thrown. Sydney AFL star Barry Hall turned out Brent Staker’s lights with a left cross that would have made Muhammad Ali proud.

The sad part is that it happened on a football field. Serious pundits should speak in serious tones about how there is no place for that kind of thing in the modern game and try to outbid each other to demand the longest suspension. But, secretly, we’ve all fantasised about throwing a punch like that.

It was a return to the old days, where the biff was a part of the game. It harkened back to a time of tough guys  and knuckle-men; a time before the AFL started on their crusade to make the game more family friendly (by which they mean bland and non-confrontational). It reminded us of legends of the game like Leigh Matthews, Neil Kerley, Mal Brown and the legendary Ted Whitten.