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Sydney FC defender Seb Ryall has been cleared of simulation at a Football Federation Australia (FFA) disciplinary committee hearing.
The three-man panel, chaired by John Marshall SC and also including former Socceroo Dominic Longo and barrister Peter Mulligan, delivered the not guilty verdict after deliberating for less than 10 minutes.
The 90-minute hearing, heard at the FFA’s headquarters in Sydney, centred around an incident in the 71st minute of the 3-3 draw in Saturday’s Big Blue against Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium when Ryall went down in the box to win his side a penalty.
Initial footage from the game appeared to show no contact on the full-back by Victory midfielder Gui Finkler.
However, Sydney FC brief Peter Paradise showed previously unseen footage to the panel from an alternative angle showing Ryall had clipped the leg of the Brazilian as he ran into the box.
After conceding contact had been made, the FFA’s barrister Ivan Griscti argued Ryall’s actions after the spot-kick was awarded was proof of simulation.
However, the defender countered that once he felt contact on his leg he thought he had been fouled and was in his rights to appeal for a spot-kick.
The 25-year-old admitted after seeing footage of the incident after the game that it wasn’t a penalty but argued he never set out to dive in the box and deceive the officials.
“As I ran towards him I was looking down at the ball and I felt contact and went down,” Ryall said.
“I thought it was a penalty … I put my arms out because I felt contact and at the time I thought it was a foul.
“I couldn’t know that it wasn’t … I didn’t clip my own ankle.”
Ryall said his reaction after referee Strebre Delovski pointed to the spot when he tapped Finkler on the back of the head was simply a case of being caught up in the heat of the moment.
“I was running through on goal and he stopped me from scoring – I was angry,” he said.
The case was the first to be heard by the disciplinary committee for simulation which has been punishable retrospectively since 2009.
Central Coast Mariners’ Argentine import Patricio Perez and ex-Perth striker Michael Baird are the only players in A-League history to be banned for simulation during the 2010/11 season.
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