Adelaide ahead Shane McAdam has been banned for 3 video games by the AFL Tribunal after utilizing Melbourne ace Kysaiah Pickett’s bump as a part of his defence.
Pickett was suspended for 2 video games for his blow which felled Western Bulldog Bailey Smith within the opening spherical.
The Crows, defending McAdam’s tough conduct cost from an identical incident, used Pickett footage and Sydney megastar Lance Franklin’s bump which resulted in a one-game ban throughout spherical one.
McAdam contested the grading of his hit on GWS’ Jacob Wehr throughout a 70-minute listening to on Tuesday evening.
But after deliberating for an extra 40 minutes, the three-member tribunal chaired by Jeff Gleeson QC, suspended the 44-gamer for 3 matches.
McAdam’s hit on Wehr was graded as extreme impression, careless conduct and excessive contact by match evaluate officer Michael Christian.
But Adelaide’s Tom Duggan QC argued there was no extreme head contact when McAdam mainly made contact with Wehr’s chest and shoulder, dispossessing the Giant of the ball.
“In that sense, it’s entirely legitimate for a bump to be made … it’s perfectly fine,” Duggan instructed the listening to.
“This is clearly not a high bump because it doesn’t in any way involve the head.
“Yes it was a tough bump but … it was entirely fair.”
Adelaide additionally used video of previous bump incidents which resulted in two-game bans for Patrick Dangerfield on Jake Kelly, and Paddy Ryder on Will Day.
And the Crows tabled a report by Dr Robert Crowther, a biomechanics knowledgeable, describing the hit as not having vital head contact on the Giant.
Andrew Woods, for the AFL, stated McAdam, with a “high degree of carelessness”, breached his responsibility of care to Wehr.
“It fell below what a reasonable player would consider prudent,” Woods stated.
The potential to trigger harm needed to be thought of when penalising McAdam, he stated.
“There’s a deliberate … launching of the body,” Woods stated.
“It was a turning and a launching and a choice to bring the amount of force.”
Melbourne’s Pickett’s accepted a two-game ban and prevented a tribunal listening to after his bump was deemed excessive impression, careless conduct and excessive contact.
The similarities of the Pickett and McAdam incidents, however differing gradings and outcomes for the pair, have been queried by some gamers and pundits, with Collingwood stalwart Scott Pendlebury amongst these calling for change within the match evaluate system.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
