Ellis has always played hard, and when you play like that it's inevitable that you will cross the line every now and then. Especially now that he is older and the speed and reflexes perhaps aren't what they were. But he isn't and never has been a cheap shot merchant. Take that tackle yesterday, quicker man trying to get on the outside of him, so he goes diving in to make a tackle and catches him high. Yes it's a penalty, and the yellow card is fair, but there isn't a bit of malice in it. The one on Bird the other week doesn't even deserve a mention, he fell head long into him, very little Ellis could have done to avoid it.
As a player Ellis is now average imo. If you were just picking him based on playing ability then he wouldn't be in the team, in fact he would probably still be retired. However, he has a presence about him, he just seems to lift everyone around him and make them believe, and in a team that can sometimes be a bit mentally weak, he is very important. One of the best leaders the game has seen, and that's why he is still playing.