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Brayden Maynard’s season hangs in the balance after the AFL referred the Collingwood star’s controversial collision with Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw directly to the Tribunal.
Just minutes from the opening bounce at the MCG, with the Magpies already leading the Demons by 12 points after a fast start, Brayshaw escaped from a centre bounce and sent the Dees inside 50 for the first time… and was poleaxed by an onrushing Maynard as he did so.
Attempting to smother, Maynard left the ground as Brayshaw kicked the ball forward, then clattered into the Demon shoulder first.
In a stunning development, it is believed the AFL and new football boss Laura Kane, as well as CEO Gillon McLachlan and heir apparent Andrew Dillon, intervened in the match review process, and possibly overruled the league’s Match Review Officer Michael Christian.
Under normal circumstances, it is Christian’s discretion to determine whether incidents are severe or unusual enough to be sent to the Tribunal without his verdict.
Christian could have decided to send the incident to the Tribunal anyway, which is an automatic destination for any incidents deemed as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact, which was the likely verdict for Maynard if indeed it was decided he had a case to answer.
Demon Jacob van Rooyen has been given a one-match suspension for a high elbow on Magpie Daniel McStay.
At the time, Channel 7’s commentary team were all adamant Maynard should have no case to answer, even as furious Demons players led by Jack Viney engaged with the hot-headed Pie in a fierce stoush as tempers boiled over.
“Maynard plays on the edge, but in my view there is nothing in this,” current great and 2016 Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield said.
“You have a duty of care to yourself, to protect yourself as you come in to land.
“Unfortunately, in this game, there’s contact that occurs… he’s in the air for half a second beforehand, it’s almost that long in the air before he makes contact.
“I know so much of what we’ve done around the rules has been what the outcome is, but I see it differently… he [Maynard] can’t protect himself either from Brayshaw, so he’s at the mercy of the oncoming player.”
Former Richmond great Matthew Richardson had a similar view.
“He’s jumped in the air to smother, he then cannot avoid contact… I mean, what else can he do?” Richardson said.
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