Brisbane chief executive Greg Swann has revealed “the gist” of his club’s plan to help Jarrod Berry escape suspension at the tribunal, claiming the Lions on-baller was acting out of self-defence.
Berry on Tuesday night will front the AFL Tribunal after the Lions opted to challenge the one-match ban he was handed for an incident during Friday night’s semi-final win over Melbourne.
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The Brisbane midfielder was suspended by the Match Review Officer for making “unreasonable or unnecessary contact” to Clayton Oliver’s eye region, with the incident graded as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.
As Oliver and Berry tussled on the MCG turf, the latter was seen reaching up to touch the face of his opponent, who had his forearm near Berry’s chin.
The Lions on Tuesday night will likely aim to have the charge downgraded from intentional to careless conduct, which would instead result in a financial sanction.
Speaking on RSN 927 on Tuesday morning, Swann hinted at what the crux of Brisbane’s defence will be.
“The gist of it will be he had no choice,” Swann told RSN Breakfast Club. “Oliver had his elbow on his throat and he was just trying to get him off.
“Where that leads to, we’ll finish off today.”
Berry was superb in the second half of Brisbane’s 13-point win over Melbourne, amassing 22 of his 26 disposals across the final two quarters while curtailing Oliver’s influence.
But the Lions now face the prospect of being without Berry for their preliminary final against Geelong on Friday night.
The 24-year-old post-game claimed there was “nothing purposeful” in the contact he appeared to make to the eyes of Oliver, saying the moment was “just a little scuffle in the centre of the MCG” and “part of the contest”.
Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury said he sympathised with Berry.
“I feel for him. Because when someone’s got their elbow in your head pushing you into the ground, I know if I was in his shoes, you’re trying grab or do whatever you can,” Pendlebury said on Triple M Radio.
“It’s almost like when you’re a little kid and you’re trying to pull him over you and get him in a headlock.
“I just thought he was trying to grab like jumper, hair, whatever you can. I’ve heard people say, he knew exactly what (he) was doing there.
“I’m like ‘Let me put my forearm in your cheekbone, drive it into the ground and then see how calculated (you are)’. It’s like the little kid when you get pinned by the older brother. It’s like a rage fit – whatever you can to get him off me.
“I thought he was just doing whatever he can, trying to reach for the neck of the jumper and got him near the eye.”
But Melbourne champion Garry Lyon on Friday night said the incident was “not a great look”.
“I don’t want to use the word eye gouge, but we know when you get into this situation sometimes you’re doing things to try and get yourself out of them,” Lyon told Fox Footy.
“Any hand around the eye or motion around the eye is always going to be something the MRO look on very sternly.
“It’s the first movement – it’s a slight raking motion of the eyes. I don’t think you can be a little bit guilty of this.”
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