AFL coaches Brad Scott and Sam Mitchell are sympathetic to Jack Higgins as the St Kilda goal-sneak prepares to challenge his three-match ban over the tackle that left Port Adelaide's Aliir Aliir concussed.
Higgins slung Aliir to the ground during the second quarter of the Power's 10-point win over the Saints at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
He pinned one of Aliir's arms as he tackled his opponent, whose feet left the ground as he tried to kick the ball before his head hit the turf.
The Power defender will miss the Showdown against Adelaide this week under concussion protocols, with his return date yet to be determined.
The league's match review officer charged Higgins with rough conduct, grading the tackle as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
The contentious incident sparked debate about whether Aliir's kicking action put him in a more vulnerable position while being tackled.
Essendon coach Scott, who previously served as the AFL's general manager of football, said it was a difficult scenario for Higgins.
"The clear direction that I'm hearing from the tribunal and from the AFL (is that) if the ball carrier is in a vulnerable position, your duty of care is to release him," Scott said on Fox Footy on Monday night.
"But Aliir's kicking the ball, so if you release him and he kicks the ball and it's a broken tackle, I think it's a lot to ask of players.
"All I can say is I'm glad I'm no longer in that position to have to make a ruling, because I feel for Jack Higgins."
Hawthorn coach Mitchell said he couldn't see an alternative option for Higgins.
"Could he have let the arm go a bit earlier? I guess that's what they would be saying, but he can't see the player and can't feel it," Mitchell said on Fox Footy.
"He's in an enormously difficult position, but I won't say too much because we play them in two weeks."
Higgins' teammate Jack Sinclair said it's a split-second decision whether to follow through with a tackle.
"When the head's involved though, you run the risk," he said.
"It's tough, because our coaches clearly say our pressure has been poor, so we're trying to fix that and work on our tackling and physicality.
"We love the fact that Higgo puts pressure on - he's been really good at it all year - but he just got that one wrong."
Sinclair added that players have grown up with sling tackles as a part of their game.
