Melbourne midfielder Lachie Hunter will miss Saturday’s conflict with Fremantle on the MCG after failing to have his one-match ban overturned on the AFL Tribunal.
Hunter was reported on the spot for a excessive bump on Connor Rozee after his proper hip collected the sliding Port Adelaide midfielder within the head.
Rozee wasn’t severely harm by the incident, however the match assessment officer deemed Hunter’s forceful front-on contact as careless conduct, medium impression and excessive contact.
Lawyer Adrian Anderson, appearing for Melbourne, argued Hunter was contesting the ball and solely turned his physique to brace for contact on the final second.
Anderson’s various submission was that contact was brought on by circumstances out of Hunter’s management provided that Rozee lunged ahead as an alternative of gathering the ball “in the ordinary fashion”.
Hunter was twice known as upon to present proof through the 90-minute listening to.
“I believe I tried to show duty of care both to my own body and Connor’s,” Hunter mentioned.
“I stopped dead in my tracks once I realised there was going to be contact, so that’s the duty of care to Connor.
“Once he makes that lunge ahead, you may see me open up my left arm and leg to cease that faucet occurring.
“You’d liken it to a goalkeeper in soccer where you try to cover all bases.”
Hunter mentioned placing his head right down to contest the ball wasn’t a “feasible option”.
“If I put my head down, I’m every chance to headbutt him in the head,” Hunter mentioned.
When the AFL’s authorized counsel Andrew Woods put it to him that he might have merely stepped to the left or the suitable to keep away from contact, Hunter swiftly dismissed it.
“No, because you’re asking me to concede the ball to Port Adelaide,” Hunter mentioned.
“I can’t see any situation where I would just let him tap the ball and let them carry the ball down the field.”
Hunter additionally dismissed the notion from Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson he might have prevented an damage to his opponent by using a cradling-type strategy as their two our bodies collided.
“I don’t think that’s a feasible option. That’s opening myself up to injuries,” Hunter mentioned.
The jury deliberated for half-hour earlier than deciding to uphold the cost and the one-match ban that goes with it.
“We find that Hunter was not contesting the ball,” Gleeson mentioned.
“His eyes were on Rozee and not on the ball as he shaped his body sideways.
“Even if we had concluded he was contesting the ball, we discovered it was not cheap for him to contest the ball in that manner.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
