AFL News: Port cop six-figure whack over Aliir concussion controversy, 'slippery slope' warning over Miller ban

Port Adelaide has received a whopping $100,000 fine for breaching the AFL’s concussion protocols, in the wake of their much-criticised handling of Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones’ Showdown head clash.

Club doctor Mark Fisher cleared Aliir to return to the game without undergoing a SCAT5 concussion test, while Jones reportedly cleared his but was later subbed out with a migraine.

However, immediate vision of Aliir appearing to be knocked out by the head clash, and the pair’s subsequent showing of concussion symptoms earlier in the week to be ruled out of the Power’s must-win clash with Geelong, had only added to the controversy.

The club and Fisher have since admitted they erred in clearing Aliir to return, but that hasn’t stopped them copping a hefty whack from the AFL after a week-long investigation.

$50,000 of the fine will be included in the Power’s football department soft cap, while the other $50,000 will sit outside provided the club doesn’t commit another violation of the league’s concussion protocols until the end of the 2024 AFL ad AFLW seasons.

In a statement, AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said the Power’s actions had the potential to put Aliir’s wellbeing at ‘increased risk’, but thanked the club for its cooperation with the league’s investigation and said the incident doesn’t undermine club doctors’ role in diagnosing concussion.

“The AFL Concussion Protocols are some of the most stringent that exist in world sport, however they require strict and consistent adherence to protect the health and safety of our players,” Meade said.

“In this instance Port Adelaide admitted that Aliir should have undergone SCAT5 testing at the time immediately following the collision on Saturday night. By not undertaking the test, and Aliir returning to the game without being subject to that further detailed assessment, Allir’s wellbeing was potentially at increased risk.

“The health and safety of all players is paramount, and this will continue to be the focus for our clubs and for the AFL.

“AFL Club doctors are some of the most accomplished sports medicine professionals in the world, they have intimate knowledge of their players, and while in this instance there was an error in the club’s process, it shouldn’t undermine the work our club doctors undertake, and the care shown to everyone at their football clubs.”

Aliir Aliir. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Great’s ‘slippery slope’ warning over Miller’s media-assisted ban

AFL great Dermott Brereton has warned of a ‘slippery slope’ regarding the league’s handling of Touk Miller’s one-match suspension for an alleged ‘squirrel grip’ on Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko.

On Thursday, five days after the incident occurred, the Suns co-captain was slapped with a ban for ‘conduct unbecoming’, with the league enforcing the rarely used Rule 2.3(a) to make the ruling.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 Plus, Brereton’s chief concern was that an appearance on SENQ by Zorko earlier in the week, questioning the decision of Match Review Officer Michael Christian to not sanction Miller in his weekly review of all incidents, had been what convinced the league to act.

“To have it actually reopened because someone has mentioned it in the media, I think that’s a slippery slope,” Brereton said.

“If a player speaks up in the media now and says ‘He got a week and I don’t think he should’ve, there was nothing going on there’, do they go back and reverse it? You can’t have it both ways.”

Zorko had brought the incident back into the spotlight with a radio appearance claiming the AFL had ‘set a precedent’ by ignoring Miller’s conduct.

“It’s interesting, you’re allowed to grab the groin region now and squeeze it and do whatever you want to it,” Zorko told SENQ Breakfast on Monday.

“We had really good evidence to support the case… they’ve set the precedent now.

“I tell you what, my groin region is quite bruised at the moment. It’s funny how that all happens.”

Brereton also argued that, while he was happy to accept Zorko’s ‘word’ that Miller made groin contact, he was sceptical whether it was intentional.

“The AFL viewed it – there’s no more difference in the footage that they viewed, it’s just on Dayne’s word here of what happened,” he said.

“I don’t doubt it happened, but what they’ve made the assumption on is it is a deliberate act, there was intent. I don’t think there was intent.

“I don’t believe the intent was to cause harm in the way that a sanction like this is intimating.”

However, the incident has quickly divided the footy world, with fellow former greats Gerard Healy and Kane Cornes suggesting Miller may have been lucky to escape with only a week on the sidelines.

“It didn’t look accidental at the time. There’s a lot of bad blood there and Touk has taken it too far,” Healy said on SEN’s Sportsday.

“But it was a bit baffling the way it unfolded – if it doesn’t go out on radio, then probably nothing happens, despite the fact there was visual evidence of it happening on everyone’s TV screens.”

Added Cornes: “Maybe one week’s… a little bit light for an incident as serious as this.”

Miller, who won the Marcus Ashcroft Medal for his tagging job on Lions star Will Ashcroft despite the clash with Zorko, will miss the Suns’ must-win match with Adelaide this weekend.

Zorko has since thanked the AFL for following up on the incident and eventually taking action.

“We saw in the vision what had partaken,” he said.

“The fact the AFL were open to [a] hearing… obviously we sat down with the Integrity Unit and the Suns would have done the same.

“I’m happy to put it past me now. It was a difficult week but the support from the club and the AFL in whole has been amazing.”

Miller, meanwhile, has apologised to Zorko while maintaining his innocence.

“It was not my intention to harm Dayne and if that has occurred from my actions I would like to apologise to him,” he said.

Touk Miller. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Tigers confident of ending Marvel hoodoo despite Dusty absence

Richmond will confront their poor Marvel Stadium record without star Dustin Martin in Friday night’s must-win AFL clash with the Western Bulldogs.

While Tigers coach Andrew McQualter had announced on Thursday morning that fellow veteran Trent Cotchin was out because of their five-day turnaround, there was no indication until teams were named a few hours later that Martin was also being managed and would miss the huge game.

McQualter’s comments about Martin in his pre-game media conference had been glowing.

“Dustin has had a great season. We know he’s had his challenges over the last couple of years, but he’s just in a terrific space,” McQualter said.

Martin’s absence is a major blow for the Tigers, whose loss to Melbourne last Sunday meant they are half a game outside the top eight with four rounds left.

The Bulldogs are eighth after their narrow loss last Saturday to GWS.

While Richmond have won six of their last eight matches, none of them have been at the Docklands venue.

This will be the Tigers’ first game at Marvel Stadium since round seven, when they suffered an upset loss to Gold Coast.

Their last six games at the venue are a draw and five losses. To McQualter, the reason is obvious.

“Yeah, Dimma,” he joked about his predecessor Damien Hardwick.

“I loved playing footy at Marvel… a long time ago.

“It’s a great stadium, guaranteed conditions, what you’re going to get. We’re really excited about the opportunity tomorrow night.”

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The Bulldogs have regained Liam Jones from a broken arm and Ed Richards from illness to bolster their defence.

They have lost Josh Bruce, Alex Keath and Ryan Gardner to injury, while the Tigers have regained co-captain Toby Nankervis from suspension and Jayden Short from injury.

Friday night is also a big occasion for field umpire Brett Rosebury.

It will be his 503rd game, meaning he breaks the VFL/AFL all-time record that fellow field umpire Shane McInerney set four years ago.

“Brett is a force in our game, on-field and off. He’s a great role model amongst the umpires and is someone who genuinely cares about the game,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said of the nine-time grand final umpire.

“He’s known as a great umpire with great rapport with players but he’s always smiling, having fun and bringing an energy.

“Individuals change organisations and there’s no doubt Brett has changed the face of umpiring in many ways.”

(AAP)