Former Hawks star Daniel Harford has been left fuming after Charlie Ballard was deemed free to play in Round 3, declaring the game “has been done a disservice” after the Sun’s suspension was downgraded to a fine.
Ballard can now line up for Gold Coast against Geelong this weekend after the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night changed the grading of Ballard’s strike on Essendon’s Matt Guelfi from intentional to careless.
Ballard’s incident was initially graded by the MRO as intentional conduct with low impact and high contact, equating to a one-week ban. But when giving evidence on Tuesday night, the 23-year-old claimed he was attempting to fend off Guelfi in order to “not get blocked” and move to another contest.
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After deliberating for just over 20 minutes, the tribunal changed the conduct grading, meaning Ballard received only a fine and was free to face the Cats on Sunday.
Speaking on his RSN breakfast radio program, Harford said he was left flabbergasted by the tribunal’s verdict.
“The game has been done a disservice with that outcome,” Harford told RSN927.
“In this current environment, let alone the fact that the standards and the expectations of the game and fans have changed significantly in the last 10 years, that is an absolute joke. The game has been let down by that outcome.
“We saw a player, who was clearly frustrated and chose to strike an opponent in the neck, which was judged the head, with his forearm – and they were able to get that downgraded from intentional to careless.
“In any system, let alone my football and non-football act system, that’s as intentional as you’ll come across. If you choose to raise your arm and strike someone in the neck/head region, you should be suspended before you even get in the tribunal doors.
“That is a joke. I’m so disappointed, so angry about that … I could not believe that got downgraded.”
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Cats coach Chris Scott on Monday night, when discussing the MRO fine handed to Carlton’s Tom De Koning for kneeing Rhys Stanley at a centre bounce, said it was “much, much better” the AFL provided guidance and clarity on rules and behaviour, rather than suspending players.
But Harford said for an action like Ballard’s, there needed to be a deterrent.
“Even if they have to go and do the whole ‘potential for injury’ stuff again or make a bit of a stand on it, stop whacking blokes in the head. Elbow, forearm, fist – whatever it is, stop it,” Harford said.
No free… but a fine…? | 02:00
“We heard Chris Scott the other day talking about the ruck situation and just tell the players what they can’t do and they’ll do it – well, if there’s no deterrent, they won’t because they keep doing stupid stuff like this and getting away with it.”
AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson said he was “surprised” after the tribunal’s verdict.
Speaking prior to the decision to downgrade Ballard’s strike, Robinson told Fox Footy: “That’s a reportable offence. He’s forearmed him (Guelfi) in the face when he wasn’t expecting it – nor should he be expecting it in that regard. That can’t happen. That starts fights.
“He’s a pretty fair player, Charlie Ballard. He just got frustrated.”
