St Kilda’s Steven Baker is facing a minimum of nine matches and a maximum of twelve on the sidelines after a series of incidents in the Friday night blockbuster against the Cats.
Saint, Steven Baker, and Cat, Steve Johnson, battled it out in the grand final re-match, but both suffered from suspensions handed down by the match review panel this evening.
The AFL match review panel announced that Baker will be on the sidelines for nine weeks if he chooses not to contest the charges: the longest suspension since the introduction of the match review panel system.
If Baker decides to contest and lose, he will be out for a maximum of twelve weeks, depending on the cases he loses, potentially putting an end to his finals campaign. Steve Baker also suffered a black eye following the fierce encounter, posting the picture on his Twitter page.
We must remember Steven Baker was charged on four separate incidents.
Baker’s bad record contributed to the suspension, but more importantly how did these incidents fly under the radar of officiating AFL umpires of the Friday night grand final re-match?
It wasn’t one or two incidents that occurred on the night. My understanding is the umpire not officiating main play has control and should be looking at awarding free kicks for incidents behind play.
Steve Johnson has been charged with two striking charges, which has put Johnson on the sidelines for four weeks, reduced to three weeks with an early guilty plea. Johnson broke his hand in Friday night’s match and is expected to sit on the sidelines longer than his four week suspension.
Former Geelong player and Brownlow medallist, Paul Couch, added fuel to the fire suggesting that Baker “deserved a smack in the mouth” on Friday night.
Geelong Coach Mark Thompson also weighed in on the debate suggesting that St Kilda played with “anger and revenge” driven by last year’s grand final loss. Thompson urged the AFL to look into the incidents.
Critics will continue to compare incidents with those of recent weeks, but the AFL match review panel have dished out the correct punishments.
We do need to set the precedent and unfortunately it wasn’t done on the footy field. If it was, maybe the penalties wouldn’t have escalated to a considerable amount of time on the sidelines for players at both clubs.
Cameron Mooney is expected to serve only a two-week ban, reduced from three if he pleads guilty to striking Saint Jason Blake.
The Saint Kilda Football Club has declined to comment until 11am today.
Dylan
Guest
wow st.ornum..you must def play in the northern football league, if you resort to the squirrel grip you cant call yourself a man, low act mate an obviously you wont be an umpire or working on the match review panel after baker got the full 9 weeks..which is fair enough seeing as though there were 4 different incidents, and if you watch the news(which you probly dont) you woulda seen ross lyon rip into baker for his acts
pkbannan
Guest
st. Ornum how can you call roar CONTRIBUTORS retards when you clearly write on the roar website youself, either it be attacking others personally or writing your own articles, as a retard CONTRIBUTOR!!
David Nelson
Guest
st.Ornum you are a Steven Baker in the making. I played nearly 180 games (from 3rd's to senior's) in the mid-gippsland league and not once saw those tactics used that you are so proud of. It just means that you have not acquired the skills to play football and should go attend an auskick clinic. The tactics are retarded and so are the people who employ them. Don't get me wrong, I do think that the AFL is totally pussying down football with changes to certain rules over the years, but I cannot condone under any circumstances the foul practices used by Baker and others.
Brittany Shanahan
Roar Pro
Call the Roar writers whatever you like, but if you have to, niggle, punch, attack your opponents injuries etc, you clearly aren't good enough and are being comprehensively beaten by your opponent, hence relying on the banter behind play to get anywhere near the contest.
st.Ornum
Guest
No wonder people call public roar writers retarded. In my under 16's side, I niggle, punch, attack injuries, tear off strappings, and grab opponents balls during tackles in plain sight of the unpires. If I can get off for that why should Baker get 12 weeks. He'll get the 5 weeks he's plead guilty too, get off the one where he punched his hand ( He was just waving it, could have thought it was just a cramp and another opportunity to niggle, I would have taken it) and get a 1 or 2 week suspension for the other charge. In short, 6 weeks in the sidelines for one incident of head high contact.
David Nelson
Guest
I would have rubbed him out for 2 years for his disgraceful behavior. I can't think of any sporting code where these sort of tactics wouldn't be frowned upon by any halfway normal people. He's lucky he only got a black eye and 12 weeks in my opinion. Enjoy watching the Saints lose another Grand Final you thug Baker!
Michael C
Guest
Too right they got it right. Baker is a dirty little rat of a player - - the sort that gives AFL a bad name and the AFL hierarchy has seen a clear signal delivered by the match review panel. Good for football.
Dylan
Guest
nice britt, hit the nail on the head...baker did deserve tha black eye, doesnt mean it was right though