Adelaide forward Shane McAdam has failed in his bid to overturn a three-game ban for his brutal bump on GWS defender Jacob Wehr.
The AFL appeals board rejected his legal team’s argument the penalty was “arbitrary” and the tribunal hadn’t used a trigger clause to escalate his sanction correctly.
McAdam will now miss games against Richmond, Port Adelaide and Fremantle, despite Wehr passing a concussion test and returning to the game.
He’ll miss longer than Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett for his similar bump on Western Bulldog Bailey Smith, despite Pickett making direct contact with his opponent’s head.
His lawyer, Tom Duggan, took issue with the use of the ‘potential to cause serious injury’ clause, which allowed the impact of the bump to be graded as severe rather than low.
He questioned why that incident was graded as high contact rather than severe despite Pickett making contact with Smith’s head.
Smith was not injured in the incident and also played out the match.
“It just shows the problem … same round, a situation where direct contact is made with the head and it’s graded as high,” Duggan said.
“Why isn’t it regarded as severe … it becomes an arbitrary exercise.”
Duggan argued the ‘potential injury’ clause is better used in incidents where direct head contact is made, like a punch or in Pickett’s bump.
“He actually makes contact with him in the head and Smith remarkably picks himself up,” he said.
“You can call that the ‘iron jaw’ example; notwithstanding the impact the player has somehow escaped injury.”
AFL lawyer Nick Pane said McAdam’s appeal only focused on the head impact and ignored the hit to Wehr’s chest, saying they’d ignored the overall potential of the bump.
The appeals board found the tribunal had made no errors of law, adding it was “inevitable” they would find potential for injury given McAdam’s decision to bump rather than tackle.
Adelaide had named McAdam in their side for their clash with the Tigers, but will now be replaced by one of their emergencies.
Coaches remain adamant the McAdam and Pickett suspensions, and a one-game ban to Sydney’s Lance Franklin for a high hit, confirmed the end of using the bump.
“The bump is well and truly done,” Carlton coach Michael Voss said.
“… If you have got a choice to tackle or bump, then you’ve got no choice but to choose the tackle.”
Geelong’s premiership coach Chris Scott agreed.
“Anything that looks like you’re trying to pick off an opposition player is the game of yesterday. That’s gone,” he said.
North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas is again facing an uncertain AFL future as the club investigates the circumstances surrounding reports of new allegations relating to inappropriate behaviour towards women.
According to a report by SEN on Wednesday afternoon, the 22-year-old has been accused of sending more threatening text messages.
It is unclear when those were sent.
The latest report comes after multiple women detailed allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Thomas, including threats of violence, to the AFL integrity unit earlier this year.
Those allegations led to Thomas temporarily stepping away from North Melbourne at the end of January.
He was allowed back to the club for training late last month under the condition he take part in a respect and responsibility education program before returning to AFL action.
Thomas is also due to face court next week on a charge of “threatening to distribute an intimate image”.
Following Wednesday’s report, North Melbourne ordered Thomas not to attend Thursday’s scheduled training session.
It is unclear when he will return to the club.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was due to front a press conference on Thursday, but it has now been pushed back to Friday.
“North Melbourne is aware of media reports regarding Tarryn Thomas,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Thomas has been participating in a respect and responsibility education program that deals with accountability, remorse and behaviour change following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.
“As has been communicated previously, North Melbourne and Thomas will co-operate fully in relation to any further allegation or investigation.
“Thomas will not attend training on Thursday while the club gathers more information.”
Tarryn Thomas. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Thomas faced court earlier this month on two charges of violating a court order, but North Melbourne confirmed those charges were subsequently dropped.
Thomas has not been considered for senior selection so far this season but has been allowed to play VFL practice matches.
The Kangaroos have previously indicated Thomas is running out of chances and Clarkson said last week the talented youngster still had work to do before earning an AFL recall.
“There’s three buckets that he needs to address,” Clarkson said last Friday.
“One is with the AFL integrity (unit) and the police, there’s another one within our own club and then there’s the football conditioning side of it.
“He’s continuing to tick those boxes and when we get a green tick for all of them… we’d expect that to be in the next three or four weeks.”
Thomas, a first-round draft pick in 2018, has played 57 games for North Melbourne.
(AAP)
Collingwood coach Craig McRae has described Jeremy Howe’s sickening arm injury as ‘like a cartoon picture’, after visiting the veteran Magpie in hospital.
Howe is expected to be sidelined until mid-season after fracturing both bones in his arm in a brutal incident during the Magpies’ win over Geelong.
TV broadcasters chose not to show a replay of the incident, with Howe needing to be stretchered from the MCG.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast on Thursday morning, McRae revealed the extent of the injury, having visited the 32-year old at Epworth Hospital on Saturday before he was discharged.
“He showed me an X-ray of the arm, which looked like a cartoon picture – to be honest, there were breaks everywhere.
“It was incredible to see the damage he’d done.”
McRae confirmed there is no set time frame on Howe’s return, with his arm fractured in three places.
“Our advice is: wait a couple of weeks, let’s see it settle down and then make an assessment from there,” McRae said.
“I know it’s going to need a fair bit of work in there because there were three breaks.
“Hopefully he’s at home recovering well and getting that bone healing going.”
Howe is set to be replaced by Magpies recruit Billy Frampton to sure up their defence for a blockbuster clash with Port Adelaide on Saturday at the MCG.
© AAP
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