Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Charges Laid:

Matthew Lloyd (ESS),charging Melbourne's Nathan Carroll: assessed as intentional (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point), equaling five points, a Level Two offense, 225 demerits and a two game suspension. Lloyd's good record reduces the penalty 25% to 168.75 demerits and a one game suspension. Had he accepted, the penalty would have been reduced a further 25% to 126.56 demerits, still a one game suspension.

However, Lloyd challenged the charge and tried to plead the offense down to a charge of striking. In his defense, he said he was annoyed that Carroll had bumped him to the ground after he missed a shot on goal and didn't want to made to look foolish. He even demonstrated to the Tribunal jury how he ran several steps towards Carroll and threw his arm into Carroll's back. Umpire Stefan Grun gave evidence by telephone, testifying that Lloyd ran towards Carroll who was walking away and would not have expected contact. He further stated that Lloyd used his shoulder to bump Carroll, knocking him to the ground and that the contact was "...unreasonable and unnecessary in the circumstances". The panel upheld the MRP's finding and the one game suspension.

Andrew Welsh (ESS), bumping or making forceful contact from front-on against Melbourne's Brad Green: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points), equaling four points, a Level One offense, 125 demerits and a one game suspension. His clean record over five years reduces the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand.

Welsh contested the charge, stating he was down contesting the ball and had turned side-on before contact to protect himself, the ball, and to prevent the possibility of a severe clash of heads. However, the panel upheld the original decision of the MRP, leaving Welsh with the reprimand and demerits held over toward his future record.

Tom Harley (GEEL), making contact with umpire Ray Chamberlain: fined $3200 which would have been reduced to $2400 had he accepted. However, he and the club decided to challenge the charge, claiming Harley only crashed into Chamberlain because Sydney's Jude Bolton had pushed him into the umpire's path. However, the Tribunal panel upheld the charge, leaving Harley to pay full fine.

Kayne Pettifer (RICH), striking Saint Leigh Fisher. The Match Review Panel (MRP) assessed the incident and deemed it to be worth only a reprimand and 60 demerits which Pettifer accepted.

Shaun Burgoyne (PA) accepted a reprimand and 93.75 demerits for making high contact against Brisbane's Troy Selwood.

The MRP cleared Sydney's Leo Barry for the bump on Geelong's Cameron Ling. The contact dazed Ling, but the panel found the contact had been mainly to Ling's chest area, with contact to the jaw secondary.

Source: Melbourne Age; Herald Sun; Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release