Another busy night at the AFL Tribunal looms, with at least three players to front the panel: One a direct referral from the Match Review Officer, while two others will challenge.
St Kilda’s Anthony Caminiti, Collingwood’s Taylor Adams and Essendon’s Zach Merrett were all charged by the MRO after their respective Gather Round incidents.
The AFL confirmed Merrett’s case on Tuesday would be heard at 4pm (AEST), followed by Caminiti (5.30pm) and Adams (7pm).
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Caminiti’s off-ball hit to Magpies defender Nathan Murphy was referred directly to the tribunal. The striking charge receive the highest possible gradings: Intentional conduct, severe impact and high contact, with at least a four-match ban recommended.
But that wasn’t the only incident to emerge from Sunday’s Magpies-Saints clash, with Magpies veteran Taylor Adams offered a one-game suspension for his tackle on Saint Seb Ross. The rough conduct charge was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
The Magpies on Tuesday confirmed they’d challenge the ban.
Caminiti and Adams will join Merrett at the tribunal after Essendon on Monday confirmed it would challenge the one-match suspension handed to its skipper for his dump tackle on Melbourne’s Tom Sparrow at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Adams suspended for ANZAC Day clash | 00:52
Merrett’s rough conduct charge was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, equating to a one-game ban.
Caminiti’s hit was a source of angst on the field and in the coaches’ press conference – and now a significant sequel at the tribunal is anticipated.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae confirmed post-game Murphy had been ruled out of the rest of Sunday’s match – and the club’s next game against Essendon on Anzac Day – due to concussion.
But eight-time All-Australian said he believed the Saints could argue Caminiti’s incident should’ve been graded as careless conduct and high impact, which would equal a two-week ban.
“I don‘t see it as a deliberate act,” Buckley told Fox Footy’s On The Couch.
“I think that Nathan drops his knees a little bit and I just reckon that Caminiti is not expecting to collect him in the head. So I think it‘s careless.
“I‘m really interested to see where the tribunal goes with this … In some way (Murphy contributed).
Buckley defends Caminiti’s 4 week ban | 01:28
“I don‘t think it’s an intentional act. I think Caminiti’s played the game in great spirit and I think he’s gone about it really well – I don’t know the kid at all. There was a bit of reciprocation going on, but I don’t know whether that’s one you want to make a big example of.”
Triple Coleman Medallist Jason Dunstall said he could see Buckley’s argument, but declared once a player responds like Caminiti did, they’re at risk.
“The unfortunate thing is if you get sucked in and you do something overaggressively or you hit the wrong part of the body – and now there‘s all the equation of did he slip a little bit, which brought his head down a little bit lower and made him a target – it doesn’t matter. As soon as you get involved in that sort of thing, if the player suffers concussion, you’re gone,” Dunstall told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“You take suspension basically into your own hands if you‘re going to engage in something like that.”
AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley added: “The really interesting around this is I feel like the action was careless but the way it‘s prescribed within the guidelines, being that far off the ball, that sort of strike is going to be intentional. There is room to argue it, but the gravity of it sits with the fact that Murphy has had repeat concussions and he’s had one inflicted by an opponent in a moment that really shouldn’t have happened.”
Suspended Merrett set to miss ANZAC Day | 00:23
Giants star Tom Green also copped the same gradings and suspension length as Merrett and Adams for his tackle on Hawthorn’s Josh Ward on Saturday, with the Giants confirming they’d accepted the ban.
“I feel like that was the worst action of the three of them: Stand still and then go ‘right, we’re going to ground’. So whatever happens at the tribunal needs to reinforce the overall principle of ‘don‘t do that’,” Whateley said of Green’s tackle.
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