Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo, reporting for AFANA from Chicago.

TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:

Daniel Merrett (BRIS), rough conduct against Collingwood's Anthony Rocca: assessed as negligent contact (one point), medium impact (two points) and body contact (one point), equaling four points, Level One offense, 125 demerits and a one game suspension. He has no prior record, good or bad and accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand. The demerits will be held over and added to any future offense.

Adam Goodes (SYD), striking Port Adelaide's Matt Thomas: assessed as negligent contact (one point), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points), equaling four points, a Level One offense, 80 demerits and a reprimand. He has 70.31 demerits held over from the past 12 months, increasing the penalty to 150.31 demerits and a one game suspension. An early plea would have reduced the penalty 25% to 112.73 demerits, still a one game suspension.

Goodes decided to contest the charge at the Tribunal. In his defense, Goodes stated that he was trying to shrug off Thomas to avoid falling himself on the hard surface near the center wicket area during a tackle and that Thomas tripped over his legs. Goodes further explained that playing surface at the Sydney Cricket Ground was the hardest he had seen in years and that Thomas was dazed not as a result of a strike but rather due to hitting his head on the hard ground. Video evidence was inconclusive and the Tribunal panel therefore dismissed the charge.

Josh Hunt (GEEL), tripping Essendon's Brent Stanton: assessed as negligent contact (one point), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point), equaling three points, a Level One offense, 80 demerits and a reprimand. He has no existing good or bad record and accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 60 demerits, still a reprimand with the demerits held over toward any future offense.

The match day report against Kangaroo Aaron Edwards for charging Richmond's Andrew Raines was assessed by the Match Review Panel. The panel ruled that Raines had run in front of Edwards as both attempted to mark (catch) the ball. Edwards had already left the ground but had eyes only for the ball. At the last moment, he realized contact was imminent and turned his body to protect himself. The panel further ruled that contact in the situation was unavoidable and dismissed the report.

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release & Melbourne Age

Round 3 Injury Report

ADELAIDE
Injury Update:
Chris Knights, quad, 3-4 weeks.
Brad Moran, fractured finger, 4 weeks
Brent Reilly, broken wrist, five weeks
Aaron Kite, knee, ongoing assessment
Kurt Tippett, knee, ongoing assessment, 1 week
Greg Gallman, ribs, 1 week
Rhett Biglands, knee reconstruction, season
Trent Hentschel, knee, 3-4 weeks

Source: David Burtenshaw, Club Media Release

BRISBANE
Injury Update:
Tom Collier, hamstring, 1 week
Mitch Clark, quad, 1 week
Jason Roe, quad, 2-3 weeks
Josh Drummond, quad, 4 weeks
Matthew Moody & Sam Sheldon, groin, indefinite

Source: Sam Lord, Club Media Release

CARLTON
Injury Update:
Luke Blackwell, thigh, 1-2 weeks
Sam Jacobs, ankle, ongoing assessment
Andrew Walker, shoulder, indefinite

Source: Stephen Wilson, Club Media Release

COLLINGWOOD
Injury Update:
Jaxson Barham, shoulder, 2-3 weeks
Simon Prestigiacomo, foot, indefinite
Brad Dick, knee, season
Sean Rusling, shoulder, season

Source: afl.com.au

ESSENDON
Injury Update:
Heath Hocking, groin, indefinite
David Myers, hamstring, 1 week
Scott Gumbleton, hamstring, 2 weeks
Courtenay Dempsey, hamstring, 3 weeks
Tom Hislop, wrist, 4 weeks
Scott Lucas, knee, 11 weeks

Source: Cara Pelchen, Cara Pelchen

FREMANTLE
Injury Update:
Mark Johnson, knee, 1 week

Source: afl.com.au

GEELONG
Injury Update:
Brad Ottens, ankle, 1 week
Andrew Mackie, quad, 1-2 weeks
Nathan Djerrkura, quad, 3-4 weeks
Matthew Egan, navicular (foot), indefinite

Source: Kevin Diggerson, Club Media Release

HAWTHORN
Injury Update:
Max Bailey, knee, 4-5 weeks
Trent Croad, wrist ligaments, 4-5 weeks
Stuart Dew, hamstring, 3-4 weeks
Beau Muston, knee reconstruction, season

Source: Clinton Brown, Club Media Release

KANGAROOS
Injury Update:
Nathan Grima, knee, season
Robbie Tarrant, shoulder, ongoing assessment
Jess Sinclair, thumb, 1 week

Source: Matt Harrington, Club Media Release

MELBOURNE
Injury Update:
Jack Grimes, groin/shins, 2-4 weeks

Source: Leigh Newton, Club Media Release

PORT ADELAIDE
Injury Update:
Hugh Minson, knee, ongoing assessment
Michael Wilson, achilles, ongoing assessment

Source: Hitaf Rasheed, Club Media Release

RICHMOND
Injury Update:
Danny Meyer, hip, ongoing assessment
Trent Cotchin, achilles, 2-3 weeks

Source: Judith Donnelly, Club Media Release

ST KILDA
Injury Update:
Sean Dempster, cartilage arthroscopy, 2-3 weeks
Brendon Goddard, knee, 1-2 weeks
Matt Maguire, leg, 2-3 weeks
James Gwilt, groin, 2-3 weeks

Source: Matt Schmidt, Club Media Release

SYDNEY
Injury Update:
Tim Schmidt, knee, 3 weeks
Peter Everitt, knee, 3-4 weeks
Nic Fosdike, knee, 4-5 weeks
Henry Playfair, hamstring, 4-5 weeks
Brett Meredith, shoulder, 8-10 weeks
Kristin Thornton, knee, season
Nick Malceski, knee, indefinite**

**Malceski, injured during the preseason competition, required a knee reconstruction. The club opted for experimental surgery using synthetic fibers instead of a tissue graft to repair his knee. Should it be successful, Malceski could return in 8-10 weeks instead of being sidelined for the season.

Source: Tara White, Club Media Release & Melbourne Age

WEST COAST
Injury Update:
Mark LeCras, groin, 3-4 weeks
Sam Butler, groin, 2-3 weeks

Source: Anna Carew-Reid, Club Media Release

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Injury Update:
Nathan Eagleton, ankle, ongoing assessment
Shaun Higgins, ankle ligament damage, 4-6 weeks
Tom Williams, thigh, 2-3 weeks
Farren Ray, foot, 3 weeks
Andrejs Everitt, knee, 3 weeks
Malcolm Lynch, hamstring, 2 weeks

Source: Stacey Mair, Club Media Release