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Costly Gaff: Star Eagle suspended for eight weeks

Expert
7th August, 2018
When: 5pm AEST
Andrew Gaff of the Eagles looks dejected sitting on the bench during the round 20 AFL match between the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Expert
7th August, 2018
229
4450 Reads

Update:

Andrew Gaff has been suspended for eight weeks for striking Andrew Brayshaw.

This means Gaff will be unavailable to play AFL until at the very earliest, Round 2 of the 2019 AFL season.

However, his return may be delayed even further depending on how many finals matches the West Coast Eagles play.

Preview:

Andrew Gaff of the West Coast Eagles will face the AFL Tribunal tonight, charged with striking Andrew Brayshaw in the Western Derby. Join The Roar for live updates and the Tribunal’s decision when it is made tonight, starting from 5pm AEST.

Gaff looks set to receive a lengthy ban, one which could be enough to prematurely end his participation in the 2018 AFL season.

With only three weeks left of the home-and-away season, it seems virtually certain that Gaff will miss the rest of that – but the big question is whether or not he’ll be eligible to return during finals.

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A ban of six weeks would almost certainly rule Gaff out for the rest of the year, barring the unlikely scenario that the Eagles lose a qualifying final but then qualify for the grand final.

A ban of seven weeks or more would make it absolutely certain that Gaff will not play another AFL game in 2018.

Of course, there’s also a strong possibility that – depending on the outcome of the Eagles’ finals campaign – Gaff could cop a ban long enough to delay his start to the 2019 season also.

That may well even be a ban that effects another club, as Gaff is a restricted free agent this year.

It’s widely expected that he will remain with the West Coast Eagles, but still possible he could decide to return home to Victoria with Melbourne and North Melbourne among the sides pursuing his signature.

As for Brayshaw, his season is certainly over as the strike saw him suffer a broken jaw and four displaced teeth. He won’t be able to eat solid food for the next month.

Prediction
Given the circumstances of the incident, I’d say a ban that unambiguously ends Gaff’s season is appropriate – I’d expect a minimum of seven weeks, but could be as high as eight to ten.

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Join The Roar for live updates and the Tribunal’s decision when it is made tonight, starting from 5pm AEST.

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