AFL News: Calls for send-off rule for foul play as tribunal delivers Nankervis verdict, Pies stars back, Bombers banged up

Richmond will be without co-captain Toby Nankervis for three weeks after the AFL Tribunal banned him for the brutal bump that left Sydney’s Jake Lloyd concussed.

A remorseful Nankervis admitted he needed to “be a lot better than that”, apologising to Lloyd’s family and friends before he was handed the ban.

Tribunal chairwoman Renee Enbom said the ban would have been higher but for Nankervis’ “genuine remorse” for the bump in his side’s win.

Nankervis offered no defence for his actions and took full responsibility, having apologised to Lloyd immediately after the game in person and via text message a number of days later.

“(I’m) extremely sorry for the position I put Jake in and for his family and friends that watch on,” he told the tribunal.

“As a leader of the football club, I’m accountable and need to be a lot better than that.”

The AFL argued for a four-game suspension, saying Richmond were put on notice regarding high contact earlier in the season when Nathan Broad was given four matches for a sling tackle.

But Nankervis’ lawyer Sam Tovey asked for the minimum three-game suspension, saying the breach of the duty of care had been “clear … but not egregious”.

Star Fremantle midfielder Caleb Serong will ask the tribunal to overturn his one-match ban for a dangerous tackle.

Serong was cited for a challenge on Carlton’s Adam Cerra in Fremantle’s 53-point home loss to the Blues on Sunday.

The league’s match review officer graded Serong’s actions as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, resulting in the one-match sanction.

Fremantle take on Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday in a match they are desperate to win to stay within striking distance of the top eight.

The loss of Serong would be a huge blow to their chances and the Dockers are hopeful they can overturn the suspension.

Essendon ruckman Andrew Phillips has accepted a one-match ban for a high bump on Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien.

The Nankervis incident prompted renewed calls for the competition to introduce a send-off rule for “really obvious” foul play.

The fallout was costly for the Swans, who lost one of their chief playmakers for more than half of last Thursday night’s contest.

Sydney coach John Longmire said tightened rules around concussion – and the increased likelihood players will be ruled out of matches – meant a send-off rule should be considered.

“I was always in the ‘no send-off’ camp over the years but what’s happening in the game now, it’s changing a fair bit in regards to HIAs (concussion assessments),” Longmire told reporters on Monday.

“I understand the sub is there to help mitigate those things that are happening more and more, but often that sub is not the type of payer you have in your starting 22, it’s a different type of player and you can be unsettled.

“I don’t think there is a cut and dry answer. It doesn’t mean that everything is right.”

Longmire said that if a send-off rule is introduced, it should not apply to 50-50 decisions. “They only have to be the really obvious ones. If you get in that grey area, it’s too big a penalty,” he said.

“I don’t think it should be put off the table. You are just trying to move with the way the game is going.”

Pies pair cleared for comeback

Rampant AFL ladder-leaders Collingwood will be boosted by the return of All-Australian duo Brayden Maynard and Steele Sidebottom for their clash with Fremantle.

The pair’s inclusion for Saturday’s game at the MCG pushes the Magpies closer to full-strength, with only forwards Brody Mihocek and Will Hoskin-Elliott from Collingwood’s strongest 22 still missing.

Maynard sat out last Friday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs due to a shoulder issue.

But Collingwood have declared the defender fit to take on the Dockers after undergoing a fitness test.

Sidebottom has missed the last six weeks after hurting his knee during his 300th game against North Melbourne in late May.

But the 32-year-old has been part of full training for more than a week and has passed a number of tests.

Mihocek will sit out at least one more game with a hamstring injury and will return to full training next week in a bid to be ready to play in a top-two showdown against Port Adelaide in round 19. 

(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

St Kilda have been dealt three further blows on top of Max King’s season-ending shoulder injury.

Jack Billings is set to miss at least two games after fracturing his thumb in last week’s 21-point loss to Melbourne, while Seb Ross has been ruled out for four-to-six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Zaine Cordy will miss Saturday’s clash with Gold Coast due to concussion. 

“Jack fractured his thumb on Saturday night, so has had surgery to address that this week,” St Kilda’s acting football manager David Misson said.

“Scans have confirmed a grade-two hamstring strain for Seb.”

Forward Tim Membrey, who has been sidelined since round nine with a knee injury, is still listed as being four to five weeks away.

In better news for St Kilda, Josh Battle (concussion), Jack Higgins (knee) and Bradley Hill (knee) could all return against the Suns.

Phillips ban adds to Bombers’ ruck woes for Cats clash

Essendon are facing a ruck shortage ahead of their AFL blockbuster against Geelong, after Andrew Phillips accepted a one-match ban for his high bump on Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien.

First-choice ruckman Sam Draper is likely to remain sidelined for the fifth-versus-eighth showdown at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night as he attempts to overcome a hip issue.

And Phillips’ suspension could force the Bombers to call on eight-game tall Nick Bryan to shoulder the ruck load against Cats premiership veteran Rhys Stanley.

Phillips ran past the ball and made contact to O’Brien’s head with a bump in the final minute of Essendon’s impressive win over the Crows on Sunday.

O’Brien was not seriously hurt in the incident.

But the league’s match review officer on Monday charged Phillips with rough conduct and graded his actions as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact – resulting in a one-match sanction.

“We want our ruckmen to shepherd and I haven’t looked at it in detail on whether he got him high or not, but the impact didn’t look huge,” Bombers coach Brad Scott told reporters after Sunday’s win.

“We’ll let the MRO take care of that.”

Bryan has played just two games this season – most recently against Fremantle in round 15 – and was substituted out of both.

The 21-year-old was on the emergency list against Adelaide.

Cult hero Draper has missed all three of Essendon’s matches since the mid-season bye and there is still no clarity around his return to action.

“The goal is just to build him up to main training and then we can have an accurate assessment of when he’ll come back,” Scott said.

“But I can’t see it being this week.”

Essendon will almost certainly have to seek further cover for important defender Jordan Ridley, who suffered bone bruising when he hyperextended his left knee in a marking contest against the Crows.

The Bombers on Monday said scans have confirmed Ridley avoided serious injury, though he is rated just an “outside chance” to play against Geelong.

Mason Redman is likely to feature after Scott hosed down concerns over the star defender’s hamstring issue, saying he “should be fine”.