West Coast star Harley Reid has had his two-match ban for a harmful sort out on St Kilda’s Darcy Wilson upheld on the AFL Tribunal.
Reid’s sort out was initially graded by Match Overview Officer Michael Christian as careless conduct with excessive influence and excessive contact, with the ‘influence’ grading elevated as a result of potential to trigger damage.
This triggered a two-game suspension that dominated the younger gun out of rivalry for the AFL Rising Star Award, for which he was a heavy favorite.
In difficult the decision with the Tribunal, the Eagles argued it ought to have solely been graded as ‘medium’ influence attributable to Wilson enjoying out the remainder of the match, and due to this fact solely value a single week’s suspension.
Reid was supported on the listening to by his dad and mom, who had headed throughout from Victoria to Perth.
On the listening to, Eagles counsel David Grace claimed Wilson’s arm and elbow hit the bottom earlier than his head to cushion the influence, earlier than evaluating the incident to different harmful tackles this 12 months which solely acquired one-match suspensions and even much less, together with Charlie Cameron’s sort out on Jake Lever for which he was controversially cleared attributable to his beforehand excellent disciplinary report.
Whereas Reid didn’t give proof to the listening to, Fox Footy reporter David Zita amusingly famous he reacted to AFL counsel Sally Flynn’s argument that the two-week ban was warranted as a result of the sort out was laid with extreme power with no try to gradual Wilson’s momentum by regularly shaking his head, earlier than vociferously nodding when the Eagles’ argument started.
“We agree Reid is a younger first 12 months participant who was attempting to do his greatest, however his sort out was in poor health judged. It was a poorly executed sort out,” a Tribunal assertion learn after the ban was upheld.
“It was fairly a singular sort out – a sort out of a really totally different form to the 4 examples of harmful tackles that Reid relied upon.
“We settle for the AFL submission that the character of the sort out created the appreciable potential for damage to Wilson. Extreme and substantial power was utilized by Reid to elevate, rotate and sling Wilson backwards to the bottom.
“It’s fortunate that he [Wilson] landed in the best way he did. Had he landed in a different way, then the result for Wilson might have been a horrible head or neck damage.
“We’re glad that the tough conduct cost has been accurately categorised.”
The upheld ban means Reid will miss the Eagles’ matches in opposition to North Melbourne and Essendon, on both aspect of their Spherical 14 bye.
Earlier, Western Bulldogs ahead Rhylee West efficiently had his one-match ban for a excessive bump on Jeremy Howe overturned by the Tribunal, clearing him to face Brisbane on Friday evening.
West was handed the suspension by Christian after clipping the Magpies defender within the head throughout their Spherical 12 match, with the grading coming in as careless conduct with medium influence and excessive contact.
Nevertheless, the Bulldogs efficiently argued that West’s intention within the contest was to sort out Brayden Maynard, with the Tribunal agreeing that his conduct was not unreasonable below the circumstances.
