St Kilda ahead Jack Higgins will miss the subsequent three weeks after failing to both overturn or scale back his suspension for a harmful sling sort out.
Higgins pleaded not responsible on the AFL Tribunal to the tough conduct cost for his sort out on Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir, with St Kilda counsel Adrian Anderson arguing the 25-year-old’s actions weren’t unreasonable within the circumstances.
As a secondary argument, Anderson mentioned there have been “exceptional and compelling circumstances” that made it inappropriate to impose a three-match ban, given Aliir’s kicking motion closely contributed to the incident.
Anderson mentioned a two-match suspension can be extra becoming below these circumstances.
Aliir’s head slammed into the turf after being slung to the bottom by Higgins, with the next concussion ruling the Port defender out of Thursday night time’s Showdown towards Adelaide.
The three-person tribunal panel, led by chair Renee Enbom, deliberated for one hour and 40 minutes earlier than quashing St Kilda’s two strains of argument.
Although Enbom agreed Aliir’s kicking motion contributed to his momentum of coming to floor, she mentioned the sort out was unreasonable.
“We find this a clear case of rough conduct,” Enbom mentioned.
“Higgins used a poor and dangerous technique in tackling Aliir to ground.
“He grabbed maintain of Aliir’s left arm and forcefully rotated him to floor.
“Higgins had hold of Aliir’s arm in such a way that Aliir had no or little ability to try to protect himself.”
The resolution means Higgins will miss matches towards North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Fremantle.
During the listening to on Tuesday night time, Anderson referred to as upon sports activities biomechanics skilled Helen Bayne to assist clarify how Aliir’s kicking motion was largely accountable for the result.
“It increases his angular momentum,” Bayne defined.
“The raising of that right leg – aggressively swinging upwards – shifts his mass even more off balance than what it would have been and causes that increase angle that causes that cartwheel motion.
“He makes contact along with his shoulder/head area fairly than decrease down.
“He’s rotating faster due to the fact he’s swung his leg in a kicking action.
“It makes it harder to create another motions to perhaps obtain a safer touchdown place as a result of he is targeted on that sideways rotation.”
Anderson also pointed out Higgins is just 177cm and 76kg compared to Aliir’s imposing 195cm and 97kg frame.
Higgins said it was Aliir’s momentum that largely resulted in the pair hitting the turf.
“I do not assume I can sort out a giant man like that to the bottom,” Higgins said during his evidence.
“It did not really feel like I had a lot management of his physique weight on me.
“A Port Adelaide player went to me and told me it was a good tackle and that I was stiff.”
AFL counsel Nick Pane mentioned Aliir was in a susceptible place with little alternative to guard himself.
“What made this tackle unreasonable was he (Higgins) restricted the use of Aliir’s left arm and he rotated Aliir forcefully to the ground,” Pane mentioned.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
