Fremantle vice-captain Caleb Serong will miss the Dockers’ essential conflict towards ladder-leaders Collingwood after his suspension for tough conduct was upheld by the tribunal on Tuesday.
The match overview officer supplied Serong a one-match ban for a deal with on former teammate, Carlton’s Adam Cerra within the second quarter of their conflict at Optus Stadium.
The incident was deemed careless conduct, medium impression and excessive impression, with the Dockers selecting to problem the ban on Tuesday morning.
Serong pleaded not responsible with the Dockers’ lawyer Seamus Rafferty searching for to have the impression downgraded to low.
The tribunal discovered Serong to have pinned sufficient of Cerra’s arm within the deal with sufficient to forestall him from utilizing the arm to guard himself and rotated him into the bottom with extreme drive.
They mentioned it was unreasonable and a breach of the responsibility of care to Cerra and upheld the ban after deliberating for greater than an hour.
“I’m obviously really disappointed with the decision and that it didn’t go our way tonight,” Serong mentioned after the listening to.
“Most importantly I’m disappointed I won’t be out there on Saturday with the boys on the MCG against Collingwood.
“But also really respectful of the tribunal and the decision they’ve come to.”
As a part of his defence, Serong mentioned he felt unbalanced and that Cerra’s momentum was pushing towards him, whereas he couldn’t fall again with the Blues midfielder and had no selection however to take him to the aspect.
“I was trying to put myself underneath him as we were rotating around to protect him,” Serong mentioned.
Serong mentioned he held Cerra’s proper bicep to limit him from handballing.
AFL tribunal counsel Sally Flynn argued Serong had management of the deal with and advised that the Docker had a number of alternate options within the second together with not rotating Cerra with the extent of drive he did.
Serong denied this saying he added no further drive with the rotation.
In his concluding argument, Rafferty mentioned Cerra dipped his head – a declare which was rejected by Flynn.
It comes because the Dockers lose defender Brennan Cox to an ankle harm with the membership awaiting on scans earlier than figuring out how lengthy he might be sidelined.
Debutant Karl Worner (calf) has additionally been sidelined for at the very least every week, however in higher news ahead Matt Taberner is listed as every week away from returning for again surgical procedure.
Taberner, 30, has not performed since spherical 4 and is more likely to restart his 2023 marketing campaign at Peel Thunder within the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Richmond ruckman Toby Nankervis has been suspended for 3 video games for his excessive bump on Sydney’s Jake Lloyd.
Nankervis will miss the Tigers conflict towards West Coast at Optus Stadium this weekend.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
