West Coast star Harley Reid has had his two-match ban for a harmful deal with on St Kilda’s Darcy Wilson upheld on the AFL Tribunal.
Reid’s deal with was initially graded by Match Evaluate Officer Michael Christian as careless conduct with excessive affect and excessive contact, with the ‘affect’ grading elevated because of the potential to trigger damage.
This triggered a two-game suspension that dominated the younger gun out of competition 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’ affect as a consequence of Wilson enjoying out the remainder of the match, and subsequently solely price a single week’s suspension.
Reid was supported on the listening to by his mother and father, 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 affect, earlier than evaluating the incident to different harmful tackles this yr which solely acquired one-match suspensions and even much less, together with Charlie Cameron’s deal with on Jake Lever for which he was controversially cleared as a consequence of his beforehand excellent disciplinary document.
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 deal with was laid with extreme drive with no try and sluggish Wilson’s momentum by frequently shaking his head, earlier than vociferously nodding when the Eagles’ argument started.
“We agree Reid is a younger first yr participant who was making an attempt to do his finest, however his deal with was sick judged. It was a poorly executed deal with,” a Tribunal assertion learn after the ban was upheld.
“It was fairly a novel deal with – a deal with of a really completely different variety to the 4 examples of harmful tackles that Reid relied upon.
“We settle for the AFL submission that the character of the deal with created the appreciable potential for damage to Wilson. Extreme and substantial drive was utilized by Reid to raise, 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 another way, then the result for Wilson may have been a horrible head or neck damage.
“We’re happy that the tough conduct cost has been accurately categorised.”
The upheld ban means Reid will miss the Eagles’ matches towards North Melbourne and Essendon, on both facet 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 affect and excessive contact.
Nonetheless, the Bulldogs efficiently argued that West’s intention within the contest was to deal with Brayden Maynard, with the Tribunal agreeing that his conduct was not unreasonable below the circumstances.
