AFL News: Caminiti, Merrett, Adams learn tribunal fate, Ablett begins legal action on concussions, Swans won't rush Buddy

Collingwood’s Taylor Adams and Essendon’s Zach Merrett will miss the Anzac Day blockbuster after failing to overturn suspensions at the tribunal.

But there was some good news for St Kilda’s Anthony Caminiti, who successfully proved his off-the-ball hit that concussed Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy was careless not intentional and received a three-match ban.

Essendon skipper Merrett and Collingwood vice-captain Adams challenged one-match rough conduct bans for dangerous tackles hoping to be free for the clash between the second-placed Magpies and third-placed Bombers.

Their tackles were considered careless conduct, medium impact and high contact but they unsuccessfully attempted to downgrade their charges to low impact.

Adams was the third man in after teammates Beau McCreery and Tom Mitchell had already tackled St Kilda’s Seb Ross, slinging the midfielder to the ground.

AFL counsel Nick Pane argued Adams’ introduction made the tackle dangerous.

The Magpie got on the front foot with an aggressive defence, adamant the momentum of his teammates contributed to the tackle’s force and that he had done what he could to protect Ross.

“I think it (the force) would’ve been reduced if those two boys weren’t involved,” Adams said.

Panel chair Jeff Gleeson admitted the “gang tackle” was a “novel” affair for the tribunal.

On a marathon tribunal night that stretched beyond five hours, Adams’ hearing alone lasted for 90 minutes, before the tribunal panel deliberated for just under half an hour.

The panel agreed there was no momentum until Adams entered the tackle and provided the force that brought Ross to ground, creating potential for a concussive incident.

Earlier, Caminiti successfully proved his off-the-ball hit that concussed Murphy was careless, not intentional.

Vision showed Murphy pushing Caminiti in the chest/neck region and the St Kilda forward responding with a high raised forearm that felled his opponent. 

The AFL had pushed for a five-game ban if Caminiti’s original striking charge, considered intentional conduct, severe impact and high contact, was upheld.

The league also wanted a four-match ban if the charge was downgraded to careless conduct, while St Kilda pushed for four if intentional and three if careless.

After 42 minutes of deliberation, the tribunal panel sided with St Kilda, accepting Murphy lowering his body contributed to the high hit and that the incident wasn’t fully off the ball.

Caminiti was adamant he wasn’t retaliating to Murphy’s earlier shove and said he was anticipating a marking contest and attempting to push the defender away to “create separation”.

He reached out to Murphy, who will miss the Anzac Day match, after the game to apologise while St Kilda tried and failed to include a text from the defender, indicating he had slipped prior to the contact, as evidence.

St Kilda immediately accepted the three-match ban and expected 19-year-old Caminiti, who has only played five games, to learn from the experience.

First, after 27 minutes of deliberation, the panel upheld the grading of Merrett’s tackle on Melbourne’s Tom Sparrow.

Merrett agreed he had grabbed Sparrow’s jumper neckline with his right hand but said he slipped and was adamant he used his left arm, at the hip, to drag the Demon onto himself.

The Bombers also argued Sparrow contributed to the impact by attempting to break the tackle.

The panel determined Merrett should have realised Sparrow was vulnerable and the potential for injury, via his head hitting the ground, made it a dangerous tackle and medium impact.

Ablett launches concussion legal action

Gary Ablett Sr, one of the greatest players in history, is taking the AFL and the Geelong and Hawthorn clubs to court by claiming a breach of duty and negligence as he struggles with life after football.

The 61-year-old, who became an all-time great during a 248-game career which included 1031 goals from 1982-96, claims he is unable to work due to the brain damage suffered on the playing field.

Ablett’s lawyer, Michel Margalit, told The Age that his degenerative condition was “clearly as a result of physical trauma caused by concussion”.

She also said the AFL Players’ Association had denied financial assistance to Ablett.

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“One of the biggest challenges for Gary is he very much is left without the means and ability to fund the care he now requires, given his condition,” Margalit told The Age.

Gary Ablett (cenre) sings the the Geelong team song after winning an AFL match in 1995. (Photo by Getty Images)

“He really struggles on a daily basis, and it is very typical symptomatology you see from players, or athletes, who suffer these concussion-related injuries around the world. There is everything from memory loss to being unable to work and many other symptoms.”

Ablett is seeking damages and costs but a full statement of claim has yet to be served to the AFL, Cats and Hawks.

The Geelong icon is the highest-profile former AFL player to reveal his health issues in relation to on-field concussion, now a major issue in world sport.

Fellow former Cats player Max Rooke is the lead plaintiff in a class action also launched by Maralit Injury Lawyers involving former players against the AFL, seeking up to $1 billion in compensation.

Ablett last month detailed a diagnosis of brain damage and said he had contacted his former manager, Peter Jess, who has become a prominent advocate for ex-AFL players over the concussion issue.

“I started getting symptoms that alarmed me to the point where I contacted Peter Jess, whom I’m aware has been a concussion advocate for a number of past players,” Ablett told NewsCorp.

“I told him of my concerns and Peter helped organise an MEG scan that American Military use. It showed I have significant structural and functional brain damage.

“Obviously I was a very physical player and while I only got totally knocked out eight-10 times, I experienced being semi-concussed, such as ears ringing and out of it for a few minutes many dozens of times.

“But because you weren’t knocked completely out you wouldn’t even bother mentioning it.”

Previously, Ablett also has admitted to illicit drug use when he was younger.  

The AFL last month released a statement saying it had made more than 30 changes to concussion protocols, tribunal guidelines and on-field rules to protect players’ heads.

It also released a strategic plan for sport-related concussion in Australian football.

Swans won’t rush Buddy despite heavy injury toll

Sydney coach John Longmire insists the AFL club’s growing injury list won’t pressure him to rush Lance Franklin back for Saturday night’s grand final rematch with Geelong.

Swans forward Joel Amartey became the latest player to join the casualty ward, with his torn hamstring set to keep him out for the next eight to 10 weeks.

He joins Sam Reid (hamstring) on the long-term injury list, while Paddy McCartin’s future remains uncertain following his 10th concussion.

McCartin’s younger brother Tom was also concussed during the round-four loss to Port and will miss a second consecutive match.

Dane Rampe (neck) is unlikely to return for Saturday’s clash in Geelong, while Sam Wicks is still out for another two to three weeks with a shoulder injury.

Franklin missed last week’s 44-point win over Richmond with a sore knee, and Longmire isn’t tempted to rush him back despite the injury toll.

(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“His knee is still a little bit sore,” Longmire told reporters on Tuesday. “At the very best he’ll go for a run (today).

“He’s 36 with a sore knee and he needs to get out and train. It (whether he plays) has got nothing to do with the other injuries, it’s just whether he’s available or not.

“At this stage it’s a long shot.”

In better news for the Swans, ruckman Tom Hickey is a chance to return from a hamstring injury via the VFL.

Ryan Clarke is building up his fitness in the VFL and could be ready for AFL action in the coming weeks.

Longmire will give Paddy McCartin as much time as he needs to recover from his latest concussion – a mild head knock that straight away resulted in worrying symptoms.

“It’s just we’ll see how we go, day by day,” Longmire said. “He’s feeling better all the time.”

Geelong will be without premiership stars Tyson Stengle (fractured arm) and Rhys Stanley (fractured eye socket).

Dew downplays Suns’ cold start

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew insists he’s not feeling under additional pressure amid the Suns’ underwhelming start to the AFL season.

The club threw their support behind Dew last July when they extended his contract until the end of the 2024 season, eyeing a breakthrough finals appearance this year, Dew’s sixth campaign at the helm.

But the heat is building after a 1-4 start that has turned Sunday’s clash with North Melbourne at Heritage Bank Stadium into a must-win game.

“I never really feel the tide (of pressure) go away, to be honest,” Dew told Fox Footy.

“As we’ve seen, one or two weeks can take that feeling away. But that feeling only goes away for two days. Once that next game starts to come around, there’s pressure there to perform.

“I’m one of many in this footy club and I think we should all be delivering on what we want to, but I’m the face of it, so I understand that.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“But I don’t feel under any less or more pressure depending on what’s happened. That’s the reality of elite sport.

“I’ve worked under John (Longmire) and I learned a lot around maintaining a level head and sometimes you’ve got to absorb that pressure for other people and that’s the way it goes.

“That’s our job and we don’t make excuses for it but you get back to work.”

Former Suns chairman Tony Cochrane was a staunch Dew supporter but the coach was adamant he wasn’t feeling vulnerable after Bob East took the role in February.

“Bob’s been on our board the whole time I’ve been here as well and I think he’s been really honest around what he’s after and what he wants to drive,” Dew said.

“One thing I do know is Bob’s first point of call is: ‘how do we support you, how do we give you what you need, and what do you need from us?’

“If that’s his starting point I think we can have a good relationship, as we already do.

“With change comes good pressure and we’ve just got to lean into that together.”

Dew admitted to frustration after the Suns let their round five clash with Fremantle slip but was confident they could yet turn things around.

“We’ve just got to stay focused, stay united and not lose the plot and panic,” he said.

“It can turn really quickly. I think we were 2-5 at a certain point last year and then we turned it (to) 6-6.

“We’ve got to make sure we keep improving and striving for that.”