Lynch beats charge at tribunal

Updated September 11, 2012 19:51:27

West Coast key forward Quinten Lynch is available for Saturday night's qualifying final against Collingwood after a win at the tribunal.

Following a one-hour hearing, the jury took 10 minutes to decide they were not satisfied Lynch had charged North Melbourne defender Scott McMahon.

Given Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell has accepted a two-match ban for rough conduct, the Eagles will use Lynch in an effort to exploit the weakened Magpies defence.

West Coast brought in a biomechanist as part of their defence against the charging offence, a strategy now rarely used at the tribunal.

If found guilty, Lynch would have received a one-match suspension.

Lynch cannoned into McMahon's back when arriving late at a marking contest during the 96-point win over North Melbourne in last Sunday's elimination final at Subiaco Oval.

He claimed he made a lead of about 45 metres from centre half-forward to the wing.

Lynch said his entire focus was on attempting to mark and he thought he would reach the drop of the ball in time to do so.

He said he was not even sure that McMahon would contest the mark, a statement tribunal counsel Jeff Gleeson asserted was "false evidence", although Lynch stood by it under cross-examination.

Lynch said the blustery conditions at Subiaco Oval meant the ball dropped more quickly than he anticipated, which explained why he did not end up reaching the ball.

He stated his action in jumping and lifting his leg into McMahon's back was simply his normal marking motion.

Lynch's advocate Mark Gibson submitted a series of 20 still photographs to help illustrate the point that Lynch first made contact with McMahon at the same time McMahon's hands first touched the ball.

He also called University of Western Australia professor of biomechanics Tim Ackland, who said research showed that a person needed at least 0.4 seconds to change the motion of their body once they became aware of a change in circumstances.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, St Kilda Leigh Montagna failed to overturn a rough conduct charge and he will start next season with a one-match ban.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, perth-6000

First posted September 11, 2012 19:51:27

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Grundy heads to tribunal, Johnson accepts ban

Updated September 04, 2012 13:57:53

Sydney's Heath Grundy is contesting his one-match ban at the AFL tribunal tonight in the hope of featuring against Adelaide on Saturday, but Geelong has accepted Steve Johnson will not play against Fremantle.

Grundy connected with a swinging elbow on James Podsiadly's chin but the Swans are hoping he will be free for the key game at Football Park.

Grundy has little to lose, as his ban would remain at one game whether he took the early guilty plea or was unsuccessful at the tribunal.

Cats talisman Johnson, who was also in danger of being out for two weeks, has accepted a penalty for rough conduct after clashing with the Swans' Daniel Hannebery

Because of his previous poor disciplinary record, Johnson would have been hit with a two-match suspension had he been unsuccessful in challenging the charge.

Geelong officials gave serious thought to challenging Johnson's level one rough conduct charge in an incident involving Sydney's Dan Hannebery, before deciding it was not worth the risk.

Elsewhere, Gold Coast's Campbell Brown will miss the first six games of next season after accepting a charge of level four bumping or making forceful contact from front-on offence.

St Kilda's Leigh Montagna is appealing his level one rough conduct charge against Carlton's Andrew Walker when he pushed him to the ground at the end of a melee during the MCG clash on Sunday.

He was offered the opportunity to accept a one-week penalty. His case will be heard next week.

The Saints' Stephen Milne and Tom Simpkin and Carlton's Walker all accepted fines of $900 for wrestling, while the Blues' Mitch Robinson accepted a $3,000 fine for the same offence.

All other players have accepted the charges levelled against them.

ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, geelong-3220

First posted September 04, 2012 11:52:42

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Clarkson to face junior tribunal

Updated July 24, 2012 16:05:05

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has been charged with "unacceptable behaviour" by a junior football league.

Clarkson was acting as a runner in his son's under-9s football match at Ormond last weekend.

He admitted to swearing at a 19-year-old official from the South Metro Junior Football League.

"During the conversation with the league official, I used a couple of expletives and I apologise to the official for the language used," Clarkson said in a Hawks statement on Monday.

"I was only trying to reorganise the players into their correct positions and certainly didn't intend for this to become an issue for the official, the league, or the two teams."

Clarkson has now been asked to face the junior league's tribunal at a date to be confirmed.

The incident came just one day after he damaged a wall of the coaches' box at the MCG during Hawthorn's 47-point victory over Collingwood.

The Hawks said Clarkson will pay for the damages out of his own pocket after his offer to repair the wall himself was declined.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, hawthorn-3122, vic, australia

First posted July 24, 2012 16:05:05

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Dane Swan fights trip charge at tribunal

Updated June 13, 2012 13:21:12

Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan will attempt to keep his clean disciplinary record when he fights his reprimand on a tripping charge at the AFL tribunal next week.

Collingwood midfielder Swan will contest the charge over an incident involving Melbourne's Sam Blease during the Pies' 42-point win on Monday at the MCG.

Swan would receive a reprimand and demerit points for the offence if found guilty.

But he has decided to challenge the match review panel's findings despite no chance of a suspension.

Either way, the tribunal's decision will have no impact on his Brownlow Medal chances this year, as the incident does not carry enough demerit points to rule him out of contention for the AFL's best and fairest award.

The Magpies have the bye this weekend and are at a training camp in far north Queensland, meaning the Swan case will be heard next week.

Meanwhile, Melbourne utility Luke Tapscott will miss the Demons' round 13 match against Greater Western Sydney after accepting a one-match sanction.

Tapscott received the ban for striking Collingwood's Alex Fasolo in the third quarter of the Queen's Birthday clash.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066, vic, australia

First posted June 13, 2012 13:21:12

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Tribunal finds Jetta guilty

Updated May 22, 2012 19:01:47

The AFL tribunal has upheld Leroy Jetta's one-game suspension after finding him guilty of striking.

The three-man jury only needed one minute of deliberation on Tuesday to dole out some more bad news for Jetta, who the day before suffered the embarrassment of becoming the first AFL player to be charged with staging.

Jetta received no more than a written reprimand for the staging incident because it was his first offence and the Bombers decided against challenging that charge as well.

"Clearly there have been a lot worse examples (of staging) in recent weeks," Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said.

"From our point of view, we weren't going to fight a charge like that.

"The AFL have to make a stand at some stage, so we understand that - that's why we haven't appealed it."

Footage of the incident that led to Jetta's suspension showed Richmond defender Dylan Grimes doubling over and dropped to the ground after the Bombers small forward made contact with his midriff.

Asked after the hearing if he thought Grimes could also have been booked for staging, Hamilton laughed and replied: "I'd better not get into that whole staging debate."

Essendon argued the contact was negligible rather than low and Jetta said in his evidence that it was "very minimal".

"I thought there wasn't any force at all and I was surprised with how he (Grimes) reacted to it," Jetta said.

In summing up, Essendon advocate Dermot Dann said the tribunal should be "very careful" about what weight it put on Grimes' reaction to the blow.

But the extremely quick deliberation indicated the jury had no doubt at all about Jetta's guilt.

"He (Jetta) is disappointed because he thought it was really on the minor end of the scales," Hamilton said.

"At no stage has he denied that contact was made, that wasn't the point.

"He just thought it was negligible, but the jury were clearly of the opposite opinion."

Essendon could not reduce the one-match ban to a reprimand with an early plea, so there was no risk in taking the case to the tribunal.

AAPThe AFL tribunal has upheld Leroy Jetta's one-game suspension after finding him guilty of striking.

The three-man jury only needed one minute of deliberation on Tuesday to dole out some more bad news for Jetta, who the day before suffered the embarrassment of becoming the first AFL player to be charged with staging.

Jetta received no more than a written reprimand for the staging incident because it was his first offence and the Bombers decided against challenging that charge as well.

"Clearly there have been a lot worse examples (of staging) in recent weeks," Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said.

"From our point of view, we weren't going to fight a charge like that.

"The AFL have to make a stand at some stage, so we understand that - that's why we haven't appealed it."

Footage of the incident that led to Jetta's suspension showed Richmond defender Dylan Grimes doubling over and dropped to the ground after the Bombers small forward made contact with his midriff.

Asked after the hearing if he thought Grimes could also have been booked for staging, Hamilton laughed and replied: "I'd better not get into that whole staging debate."

Essendon argued the contact was negligible rather than low and Jetta said in his evidence that it was "very minimal".

"I thought there wasn't any force at all and I was surprised with how he (Grimes) reacted to it," Jetta said.

In summing up, Essendon advocate Dermot Dann said the tribunal should be "very careful" about what weight it put on Grimes' reaction to the blow.

But the extremely quick deliberation indicated the jury had no doubt at all about Jetta's guilt.

"He (Jetta) is disappointed because he thought it was really on the minor end of the scales," Hamilton said.

"At no stage has he denied that contact was made, that wasn't the point.

"He just thought it was negligible, but the jury were clearly of the opposite opinion."

Essendon could not reduce the one-match ban to a reprimand with an early plea, so there was no risk in taking the case to the tribunal.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, essendon-3040, australia, vic

First posted May 22, 2012 18:35:33

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Tribunal serves Hams with two-week ban

Updated May 07, 2012 18:57:11

West Coast forward Ashton Hams is facing a two-match suspension after being charged with rough conduct in Sunday's win over North Melbourne at Subiaco.

Hams was charged over a clash with Andrew Swallow during the second quarter, and due to a previous poor record an early guilty plea will not reduce the sentence.

Adelaide utility Shaun McKernan is facing a one-match ban for striking Sydney's Alex Johnson.

The incident, which the match review panel ruled as a level two striking offence, occurred during the Swans' loss to the Crows at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.

Port Adelaide's Travis Boak and Carlton's Shaun Hampson will escape without bans but face fines of up to $2,400 after being charged with second offences for making contact with umpires in their respective round six clashes.

Both players can enter an early guilty plea and reduce their fines to $1,800.

Fremantle defender Greg Broughton is able to avoid a one-week ban for rough conduct against Gold Coast's David Swallow with an early plea.

Bombers ruckman Paddy Ryder avoided sanction for his contact with Lions defender Jed Adcock's face on Saturday at Docklands.

A medical assessment determined that Ryder, who pushed Adcock in the face with an open hand, was "below that required to constitute a striking offence".

Hawthorn star Lance Franklin was also cleared after being reported for making contact with St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt in the Hawks' win over the Saints on Saturday night at the MCG.

St Kilda's Stephen Milne, Suns hardman Campbell Brown, West Coast defender Beau Waters also escaped sanction after round six incidents.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted May 07, 2012 18:17:14

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Whitecross cleared by tribunal

Updated April 12, 2012 10:52:59

Hawthorn has hailed Brendan Whitecross' acquittal at the AFL tribunal as a win for common sense.

After a hearing that lasted for more than an hour and a half, the tribunal jury took 10 minutes on Wednesday night to find that the Hawks forward was not guilty of rough conduct against Geelong captain Joel Selwood.

Whitecross not only beat a two-match suspension, but also received widespread praise at the hearing for the concern he showed Selwood immediately after their collision during the epic Easter Monday match at the MCG.

"The concern he showed to his opponent was very commendable," said tribunal chairman David Jones after Whitecross was found not guilty.

The match review panel charged Whitecross with rough conduct after Selwood ran into him during the frenetic last term.

The Cats star was left dazed by the contact and had to briefly leave the field.

The jury agreed with the Hawks' well-argued case that the incident was a collision, rather than a high bump.

"Common sense has prevailed, because this is a really tough game to play," Hawks football manager Mark Evans said.

"Things happen so quickly and if you take things frame by frame or slow motion, you can get a distorted view as to what is realistically available as an option for a player."

Whitecross said in his evidence that Selwood had rung on Tuesday to thank him for his concern after the collision and to express regret that a charge had been laid.

He could have accepted a one-match ban with an early plea and was risking a two-week suspension by going to the tribunal.

"I'm absolutely relieved ... with the speed of the game and the context of the game, it was just unavoidable," Whitecross said after the hearing.

While the jury had to consider several factors in their deliberation, Whitecross had a lot in his favour.

Field umpire Dean Margetts, who was closest to the incident, had not paid a free kick and said in his testimony that he thought Whitecross had done anything wrong.

Margetts said the video evidence that formed the basis of the report had not change his mind "too much".

He added the match was played at "finals-like intensity" and described it as a "concertina" collision where Selwood was caught between Whitecross and fellow Hawk Cyril Rioli.

Tribunal advocate Jeff Gleeson argued that video footage taken on the opposite angle from where Margetts saw the incident suggest that Whitecross had moved to make contact with Selwood.

But the Hawks argued that Whitecross was bracing for an inevitable collision that knocked over the two players.

Under sustained cross-examination from Gleeson, Whitecross stuck to his version of events.

"It all happened so quickly, there was nothing else I could have done," Whitecross said repeatedly.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, hawthorn-3122

First posted April 11, 2012 19:57:49

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Davis gets tribunal extension

Updated October 04, 2011 20:16:46

Collingwood defender Leon Davis has been granted a 24-hour extension and must decide by Wednesday if he will challenge a two-match ban.

The AFL's match review panel charged Davis with a level one offence for engaging in rough conduct after the 2011 All-Australian landed a heavy bump on Geelong's Harry Taylor during the second quarter of Saturday's grand final at the MCG.

Davis has until 11:00am (AEDT) on Wednesday to decide if he will accept a one-week sanction and 64.06 points towards his future record with an early plea.

The 30-year-old risks a two-match suspension if he unsuccessfully contests the charge at a tribunal hearing on Wednesday night.

Davis, who has played in four grand finals for the Magpies, but is yet to feature in a premiership side, is undecided on his playing future.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066

First posted October 04, 2011 20:16:46

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Tribunal fines Jake King for shove

Updated May 17, 2011 20:22:00

Richmond forward Jake King has been fined $800 by the AFL tribunal for angrily shoving a Western Bulldogs trainer during last Sunday's match at Docklands.

King was contesting the charge of misconduct, for which the Match Review Panel had recommended a fine of $1,600.

Following a one-hour hearing on Tuesday night, the tribunal found King guilty but reduced the recommended fine by half.

King said his intention had been to "fly the flag" for team-mate Jack Riewoldt, who had received a 50-metre penalty for a late hit after taking a mark and was then moved downfield to the goalsquare to take the kick.

As Riewoldt celebrated kicking the goal, King became involved in a scuffle with several Bulldogs players including Robert Murphy and Dylan Addison.

At one stage, King's team-mate Ben Nason tries to drag King away from the incident, but King continues to exchange verbal abuse with Murphy.

The 178cm King said he felt under siege, with Bulldogs players coming at him from all directions.

Legal counsel Andrew Tinney said the video footage showed King was looking at the 43-year-old trainer when he pushed him, but King said it all happened in a flash.

"I thought Jack was harshly dealt with so I wanted to stick up for Jack and voice my opinion," King said.

"I felt contact and verbal abuse coming from around me.

"I felt contact to my left shoulder.

"It happened very quickly. It was in the blink of an eye.

"I pushed before I even looked to see who it was.

"I didn't realise it was a trainer. If I had known that, I wouldn't have pushed him."

But King handed out some advice to the trainer on Tuesday, adding: "No trainer or official should be around any push and shove between players."

The trainer Mark Borg gave evidence via telephone link and said he had been instructed to avoid scuffles.

"There was no scuffle as I approached," Borg said.

"The scuffle had subsided. I passed Robert Murphy the drink.

"He was about to drink it and he (King) gave me a little push in the chest.

"I was shocked. You don't expect a player to come up to myself."

King agreed with Tinney's assertion that he was "worked-up" but denied he had lost his temper.

Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe successfully challenged a charge of making negligent contact with an umpire.

Fyfe argued he was pushed into the umpire's path at a centre bounce by Richmond's Nathan Foley in the match played on May 7 at the MCG.

Fyfe had been facing a $2,400 fine.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, richmond-3121, wa, fremantle-6160

First posted May 17, 2011 20:46:00

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AFL tribunal clears Swans' Richards

Published:Tuesday, May 10, 2011 9:11 AESTExpires:Monday, August 8, 2011 9:11 AEST

Sydney Swans player Ted Richards has been cleared of rough conduct over an incident involving the Western Bulldogs' Lindsay Gilbee.

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Tags: australian-football-league, sydney-2000

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Trengove takes charge to tribunal

Posted May 10, 2011 12:09:00

Melbourne's Jack Trengove will challenge his three-match ban for a dangerous tackle at the AFL tribunal this afternoon.

Trengove was cited for slamming Patrick Dangerfield into the ground during Sunday's match at the MCG, which left the Crows midfielder with concussion.

Trengove could have entered an early guilty plea and copped a two-match suspension.

Sydney's Ted Richards will also challenge his one-match ban for rough conduct against the Bulldogs' Lindsey Gilbee from Saturday's game in Canberra.

Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe will appear before the tribunal as he challenges his $2,400 fine for making contact with an umpire.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

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Tribunal clears Magpies' Dawes to play

Published:Tuesday, April 19, 2011 8:32 AESTExpires:Monday, July 18, 2011 8:32 AEST

Collingwood key forward Chris Dawes will play in the Anzac Day match against Essendon after being cleared of a striking charge in the AFL.

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