Jetta makes AFL history with charge
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Essendon small forward Leroy Jetta is the first AFL player to be charged with staging and also faces a one-game suspension for striking.
Jetta is facing a written reprimand, but no other penalty for his over-reaction to a bump from Richmond defender Steven Morris last Saturday night at the MCG.
Match review panel chairman Mark Fraser described the behaviour as “unsportsmanlike”.
Jetta would face a $1600 fine for a second staging offence.
He had just kicked a goal in the second term when he ran up to Morris, who reacted by bumping him.
The Essendon forward theatrically dropped to the ground as he tried to milk a free kick from the minor incident.
“Leroy Jetta falls to the ground and then holds his face and we believe this is unsportsmanlike in nature and worthy of a charge of staging,” Fraser told the AFL website.
It came a week after the match review panel assessed St Kilda utility Brendon Goddard for the same offence, but did not charge him.
The league introduced staging as an offence at the start of the 2010 season and had also officially looked at Port Adelaide’ Kane Cornes and North Melbourne’s Brady Rawlings without charging them.
When the AFL brought in the offence, they said there would be no financial penalty for a first offence.
“We expected significant discussion and that would be part of the deterrent,” an AFL spokesman said.
Jetta was charged with striking Richmond defender Dylan Grimes, also in the second term, and cannot reduce the one-game ban with an early plea because he has a poor record.
The only way Jetta can avoid the suspension is if he successfully takes the case to the tribunal.
North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey can avoid suspension for striking Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard.
Harvey will receive a reprimand and carryover points if he takes an early plea.
Greater Western Sydney player Toby Greene can also take a one-game ban for rough conduct against Brisbane’s Jed Adcock.
Dylan Addison was charged with striking Gold Coast’s Harley Bennell and he will miss one match with an early plea, further weakening the depleted Western Bulldogs defence.
Power defender Jackson Trengove will escape with a reprimand if he does not challenge his front-on contact charge against North Melbourne’s Kieran Harper.
Kangaroos small forward Lindsay Thomas was fined $900 for an obscene gesture and star West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr faces the same penalty for negligent umpire contact.
© AAP 2013The Crowd Says (6) | Page 1 of Comments
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May 22nd 2012 @ 9:58am
Pope Paul VII said | May 22nd 2012 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Leroy’s been watching too much soccer.
May 22nd 2012 @ 10:03am
Redb said | May 22nd 2012 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Not a good look but common practice and worth stamping out. Not a pitiful as the players who throw their head back though. quack quack.
May 22nd 2012 @ 3:28pm
Nathan of Perth said | May 22nd 2012 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
What’s that, Bombers staging and diving for free kicks on the one hand whilst engaging in dirty scragging rabbit punching play at the same time? Oh look over there, Eagles players are making it difficult to tackle them legally, that’s much worse!
May 22nd 2012 @ 10:05am
stabpass said | May 22nd 2012 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Surely Goddard is not far behind ?.
May 22nd 2012 @ 10:54am
brendan said | May 22nd 2012 @ 10:54am | Report comment
He would have a bit of competition if they handed out oscars for staging.I agree with you stabpass about Goddard he always comes out of packs holding his nose likes he has been belted.
May 22nd 2012 @ 2:34pm
Dan said | May 22nd 2012 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
Glad he got rubbed out for this, hopefully he’ll pull his head in a little, seeing too much swagger about him this year.
Very disappointed that Harvey didn’t get rubbed out for at least a week, they decided that when he punched Chad Wingard in the face, it was Reckless rather than Deliberate, absolute rubbish.