by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago
TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:
Dane Swan (COL), fined $4400 for a third melee (brawling)offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $3300.,
Alan Didak, Anthony Rocca, & Brodie Holland (COL), fined $3200 for a second wrestling offense. Didak and Rocca accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $2400. Holland decided to contest the charge, but did so unsuccessfully and was therefore required to pay the full amount.
Dale Thomas, Josh Fraser, Harry O'Brien, Chris Bryan, & Scott Burns (COL), fined $2000 for a first melee offense. Thomas, Bryan, and Burns accepted reducing the fine 25% to $1500, while Fraser and O'Brien contested the charge. Fraser was unsuccessful in his bid to have the charge dismissed and had to pay the full fine. However, O'Brien's charge was dismissed.
Heath Scotland & Brendan Fevola (CARL), fined $44300 for a third melee. Both accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to $3300.
Andrew Walker, Eddie Betts, Kade Simpson, Brad Fisher, and Cain Ackland, fined $2000 for a first melee offense. Walker, Betts, and Fisher accepted,reducing the penalty 25% to $1500. Simpson decided to contest the charge, telling the Tribunal that he, as part of the leadership group only went in to keep teammates out of the brawl. However, the panel still found him guilty, requiring him to pay the full fine.
Kane Johnson (RICH), fined $1200 for a first offense of wrestling Port's Chad Cornes. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.
Ben Dixon (HAW), striking Docker Steven Dodd, Fremantle assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point), and body contact (one point), equaling five points, a Level Two offense, 125 demerits, and a one game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand.
Dixon was also charged with a first offense of wrestling Docker Antoni Grover, incurring a $1200 fine. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $900.
Antoni Grover (FRE), fined $2400 for wrestling Hawk Ben Dixon. It is his second offense, incurring a $2400 fine. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $1800.
Ben Holland (MELB), misconduct in that he made unnecessary and unreasonable contact to the face of Bulldog Brad Johnson: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points). The Match Review Panel referred the incident directly to the Tribunal as there is no set demerit points attributed to the offense. He has no applicable good or bad record.
Holland told the tribunal the contact happened as he Johnson grappled with each other. In the clash, Holland suffered a cut about his eye, requiring several stitches. His advocate Iain Findlay told the panel that Holland was temporarily blinded by the blow to his eye and lashed out as he was pulled towards Johnson. Johnson, who did not appear to testify and was left with a bloodshot eye, was interviewed prior to the hearing and Findlay also told the panel that Johnson, in that interview, stated he believed that the poke in the eye from Holland was an accident.
Video footage of the incident showed Holland's left hand near Johnson's right eye as they grappled before Johnson clutched his eye with one hand while still holding Holland's guernsey with the other.
Under a classification anomaly, there was no specific definition for Holland's actions other than misconduct. Findlay, therefore, argued successfully that had there been a specified definition with the requisite demerits, had Holland pleaded guilty, he would have received the discount which would take the demerits below 100 for a reprimand.
The Tribunal agreed to leave the MRP's assessment of the offense as negligent conduct, low impact, and high contact. The panel also determined the offense as being at the low end of the scale and applied 125 demerits to the offense. Holland was then allowed to plead guilty for the 25% reduction. This reduced the demerits to 93.75 for a reprimand, leaving Holland free to play this week. The demerits will be held over toward his future record.
Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release, Melbourne Age, Herald Sun
TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:
Dane Swan (COL), fined $4400 for a third melee (brawling)offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $3300.,
Alan Didak, Anthony Rocca, & Brodie Holland (COL), fined $3200 for a second wrestling offense. Didak and Rocca accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $2400. Holland decided to contest the charge, but did so unsuccessfully and was therefore required to pay the full amount.
Dale Thomas, Josh Fraser, Harry O'Brien, Chris Bryan, & Scott Burns (COL), fined $2000 for a first melee offense. Thomas, Bryan, and Burns accepted reducing the fine 25% to $1500, while Fraser and O'Brien contested the charge. Fraser was unsuccessful in his bid to have the charge dismissed and had to pay the full fine. However, O'Brien's charge was dismissed.
Heath Scotland & Brendan Fevola (CARL), fined $44300 for a third melee. Both accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to $3300.
Andrew Walker, Eddie Betts, Kade Simpson, Brad Fisher, and Cain Ackland, fined $2000 for a first melee offense. Walker, Betts, and Fisher accepted,reducing the penalty 25% to $1500. Simpson decided to contest the charge, telling the Tribunal that he, as part of the leadership group only went in to keep teammates out of the brawl. However, the panel still found him guilty, requiring him to pay the full fine.
Kane Johnson (RICH), fined $1200 for a first offense of wrestling Port's Chad Cornes. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.
Ben Dixon (HAW), striking Docker Steven Dodd, Fremantle assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point), and body contact (one point), equaling five points, a Level Two offense, 125 demerits, and a one game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand.
Dixon was also charged with a first offense of wrestling Docker Antoni Grover, incurring a $1200 fine. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $900.
Antoni Grover (FRE), fined $2400 for wrestling Hawk Ben Dixon. It is his second offense, incurring a $2400 fine. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $1800.
Ben Holland (MELB), misconduct in that he made unnecessary and unreasonable contact to the face of Bulldog Brad Johnson: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points). The Match Review Panel referred the incident directly to the Tribunal as there is no set demerit points attributed to the offense. He has no applicable good or bad record.
Holland told the tribunal the contact happened as he Johnson grappled with each other. In the clash, Holland suffered a cut about his eye, requiring several stitches. His advocate Iain Findlay told the panel that Holland was temporarily blinded by the blow to his eye and lashed out as he was pulled towards Johnson. Johnson, who did not appear to testify and was left with a bloodshot eye, was interviewed prior to the hearing and Findlay also told the panel that Johnson, in that interview, stated he believed that the poke in the eye from Holland was an accident.
Video footage of the incident showed Holland's left hand near Johnson's right eye as they grappled before Johnson clutched his eye with one hand while still holding Holland's guernsey with the other.
Under a classification anomaly, there was no specific definition for Holland's actions other than misconduct. Findlay, therefore, argued successfully that had there been a specified definition with the requisite demerits, had Holland pleaded guilty, he would have received the discount which would take the demerits below 100 for a reprimand.
The Tribunal agreed to leave the MRP's assessment of the offense as negligent conduct, low impact, and high contact. The panel also determined the offense as being at the low end of the scale and applied 125 demerits to the offense. Holland was then allowed to plead guilty for the 25% reduction. This reduced the demerits to 93.75 for a reprimand, leaving Holland free to play this week. The demerits will be held over toward his future record.
Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release, Melbourne Age, Herald Sun
Article last changed on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 1:26 AM EDT
