To give a guard of honour or not to give a guard of honour.
AFL pundits have debated that question after Kane Cornes took a swipe at North Melbourne for an act of sportsmanship he says was “ridiculous”.
The Kangaroos are at their lowest ebb after they suffered the club’s worst loss to Geelong in 41 years during a 112-point mauling on Saturday night.
Cornes gave a scathing assessment of the moment they made a classy guard of honour for Cats star Mitch Duncan — who was playing his 250th game — was chaired off the ground by teammates Tom Hawkins and Joel Selwood and cheered by the rest of the squad.
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While Geelong players stood back behind Duncan to let him be carried off the ground first, North Melbourne players stood in a line and applauded the 31-year-old.
“Why would North Melbourne line up for 250? They’ve just suffered one of the worst losses in club history, they’ve had 25 inside 50s, it’s 250,” Cornes said on the Sunday Footy Show.
“He’s not retiring, it’s not 300, it’s 250 and they’ve stayed out on the ground to line up for a player they’ve just been smashed by.
“That is ridiculous. Get off the ground and start working out how you’re going to get better.
“I couldn’t believe that.”
Cornes’ comments prompted a debate between Essendon legend Tim Watson and Melbourne great Garry Lyon over whether the Kangaroos’ guard of honour for Duncan was necessary.
“I think that was just a great display of sportsmanship on their behalf, respect for a fellow player in the competition who’s just played his 250th game,” Watson said on SEN.
“I don’t know how anybody could find anything negative in what they (North Melbourne) did.
“How can you find something negative about people showing respect and sportsmanship out there on the battlefield?”
Lyon replied: “I just wonder where’s the line for the line up (guard of honour). At what stage do you line up and what stage do you not?”
Watson: “It’s wherever you want it to be to show respect to a fellow player. If you think someone’s been a really, great consistent player over 250 games and is worthy of line up, so be it.
Lyon: “I think that’s where we agree to disagree. I think Mitch Duncan’s a superstar. When did it come into vogue that we start line up for 250 games?
“The way Kane broached it is really strong and I have absolutely no problem with what he said. Absolutely, go and show your respect to Mitch Duncan. I don’t even think every player has to shake every player’s hand. I don’t know when that came into vogue.
“But in this instance, a 250 gamer, then I’d go out of my way to shake Mitch Duncan’s hand and show him respect. I don’t think I need to get my team to line up and give him a guard of honour.
“If it was just a normal game, I’d shake the hand of the bloke I played on, maybe one or two others that are in my area particularly after a battle and then I’d get off.”
Watson: “It’s no disrespect not to line up.”
Lyon: “Well it kind of is.”
Lyon, playing devil’s advocate, pointed out Essendon didn’t give Sydney’s Luke Parker a guard of honour after his 250th game on the weekend.
“So Essendon clearly didn’t respect Parker,” he said.
“The Essendon footy club say, ‘No, Luke Parker’s a good 250 player but we ain’t lining up for him’.”
Watson: “Their line up might be 300 games. They might not have a line.”
Lyon: “That’s my point. I’m in Essendon’s camp. I don’t think it is (negative). 250 games — well done, great work, shake hands, let’s get off the ground.”
Watson: “But is there anything wrong if you do (give a guard of honour)?”
Lyon: “No. It depends on your footy club and where you’re at I suppose. You don’t want to be seen to be serving and just fall at the feet of the opposition.”
Watson: “I’ve never seen anyone do it before I don’t even know if it’s necessary. But I think we should go out of our way to applaud any signs of respect and sportsmanship that’s displayed. I just think that is a great thing.
“I don’t see anything negative, if you decide you want to, there is nothing wrong with doing it.”
North’s loss to the Geelong was the club’s 11th consecutive defeat by 47 points or more.
No other club in the history of the league has lost more than seven matches in-a-row by 47 or more points — even the GWS Giants when the club first entered the competition.
Their loss in Geelong comes after a week when reports suggested the club is at breaking point with coach David Noble expected to be sacked following the club’s snap football department review.
And the AFL is reportedly exploring a “full-scale intervention” into North Melbourne amid the club’s struggles, according to veteran journalist Caroline Wilson.
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