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The AFL Tribunal system got it all wrong

30th July, 2014
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30th July, 2014
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Richmond’s Tyrone Vickery was handed a four-week holiday by the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night for his clubbing blow to West Coast Eagles ruckman Dean Cox, and that was not enough.

If the AFL’s judiciary system had any consistency, then Vickery should have been told to take the rest of the season off and start his end-of-year holidays five weeks early.

Four matches for the crude blow that left Eagles champion Cox with concussion and a subsequent early exit from Friday night’s game is too lenient.

The grading process through which the Match Review Panel came to their assessment of the incident was in fact, correct. They graded the impact of Vickery’s right arm roundhouse to be at the highest point of severe, which meant the case was sent straight to the AFL Tribunal.

This also meant that Richmond and Vickery did not have the option to plead guilty to the striking charge in order to gain a 25 per cent discount on the overall charge.

The tribunal jury of Wayne Henwood, Emmett Dunne and Wayne Schimmelbusch deliberated for seven agonising minutes, and came to the judgment of a four-week suspension and 95 carry over points.

Both Richmond and Vickery had just cause to appeal to the jury that he was acting in retaliation to a prior incident immediately before, when Cox threw an elbow backwards into Vickery’s sternum during the ruck contest.

The Richmond counsel of Michael Tovey QC recommended that the jury acknowledge Vickery’s inability to apply for a discount for pleading guilty to the charge and this was accepted, which is mind boggling.

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The reason Vickery was sent straight to the tribunal is that he doesn’t get access to luxuries such as pleading guilty and discounts on his charge. He did the crime and had to do the time, which is clearly not sufficient enough.

He did offer a public and private apology to Cox, which is to be commended, but anything other than this and that is seen as unremorseful.

The hit was indeed intentional, incredibly stupid, reckless and in the heat of the moment, but also too good for Vickery’s own good as it hit Cox flush on the jaw while he looking at the incoming ball from the boundary throw in.

Vickery is eligible to return to AFL football in Round 23 when the Tigers take on Sydney at ANZ Stadium. Cox may miss the Eagles’ match this weekend with Adelaide through concussion.

The fans and supporters crave consistency from both the Match Review Panel and AFL Tribunal and time and time again they are let down through ridiculous punishments that are dished out.

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Nat Fyfe would be irate at how an accidental head clash with Michael Rischitelli cost him two matches and Brian Lake wrestling and grappling with Drew Petrie cost him the same penalty as Vickery.

This is just another example of a player who commits an offence on the field having the wrong penalty handed to them.

If Vickery was drinking with friends at The Precinct and bludgeoned Cox with his fist wouldn’t he be dealt with more severely? You would think so.

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