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.
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.
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.
Eliot Bingham
Roar Pro
Massive brain fart by Vickery. I don't know what his intention was because swinging your arm like that and that high was always going to cause damage to Cox. I did how ever enjoy a certain tweet on Twitter saying that Vickery's lawyer said playing for Richmond this season should count as time served
Eliot Bingham
Roar Pro
Couldn't have said it better myself Gecko. Thanks for the read
Gecko
Guest
The punishment for Vickery probably should have been 5 or 6 weeks. What's more surprising though is that some comments above argue that Cox provoked the punch. What Cox did, an elbow into Vickery's body, happens at many boundary throw-ins. Vickery knows it's a common part of the jostling for throw-ins and he should, at worst, have responded by doing the same back to Cox.
Cat
Roar Guru
Never argued the MRP isn't a joke and highly incompetent but your conspiracy theory in the middle of your post is complete and utter BS.
That's life
Guest
Did Petrie manage to play the game out, I believe he did? Was his team disadvantaged, not at all. The same can't be said for Cox, who was unavailable for the rest of the game. Perhaps the rules should reflect that if a player is concussed in a reportable incident, then the offending player should also be removed from the game. What Lake did was reprehensible, but the only impact it seemed to have was to motivate the Kangaroos.
Gregor
Guest
Hall not getting suspended certainly made Sydney's job easier that September day.Take away his two goals and Eagles win ,maybe
Andrew
Guest
be careful bosk, that chip on your shoulder may become a full on break. you mention above North getting a poor ride from the MRP. the sheer stupidity of that comment makes any of your other points seem weaker
Don Freo
Guest
Newman, West Coast...in jail now...still listed and being supported by WCE.
Malahka
Guest
And you are shocked by this?
Malahka
Guest
What if his open hand didn't knock him out...
Slane
Guest
Krakouer went to jail. But that could just mean racism is stronger than celebrity worship.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Perhaps you'd like to try your hand at arguing Giansiracusa was treated as fairly by the MRP as Adam "untouchable" Goodes then Gene? My point stands. The MRP has a long and storied history of allowing its verdicts to be biased by the AFL's desired financial outcomes. Barry Hall 2005 ring a bell at all?
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Gene when was the last time you heard of a current (rather than former or future) AFL player actually doing time in prison? Suspended sentences and community service are usually the go for these blokes - remember they are CELEBRITIES so the rules that apply to ordinary folk like you and me do are not meant for them. I'm still waiting to see what comes of the Milne rape trial but I expect he will get off. Did you know his fellow players pressured the club's sponsors into funding his defense? These players aren't living on the same planet as us mate.
Cat
Roar Guru
yes having vickery or not for an additional week is gonna get Richmond to the finals at this point ... stupid thing to say Bosk, Richmond is no chance at playing finals this year.
Storm Boy
Guest
That's what you get when you copy the NRL. Should never have gone to this grading system.
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Agree, Vickery's punch was an absolute dog act. Six weeks minimum in my view, especially considering Vickery had carry over points. However the AFL would dearly love to see Richmond make the finals again given how many oodles of success-starved supporters the team has. Had it been a Bulldogs or Norf player you can be sure the verdict would've been more severe. This sport is compromised for the sake of maximizing profits in just about every manner possible.
Steele
Guest
Completely agree Jason.
Steele
Guest
More Vickery hyperbole? His intention wasn't to knock Cox out, it was just a clumsy arm swing in retaliation. He was clearly remorseful. Comparing it to a king hit at a pub is nonsense. I now feel sorry for Vickery, considering all the media scrutiny he's facing. He didn't kill anyone. Just made a spur of the moment error. I do agree with the inconsistencies of the tribunal, but that's been the case forever.
Cat
Roar Guru
I'd be all for harsher penalties for things unrelated to the game of footy, like actual king hits and chokes holds, and chicken wings, eye gouges etc. I think what West Coast supporters forget is that if this incident was out in public, Cox would have been the instigator since he threw the first hit and would have been charged along with Vickery. That fact that Vickery didn't even try to contest the grading or penalty and just copped whatever they gave him should cut him at least a bit of slack unlike Lake who brought the lawyers in to argue minutia.
vocans
Guest
JH, life is a tough thing and there's plenty of emotion involved. It's not justified in either arena: life or footy. It's in the rules in boxing and that's where it belongs.