by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago
TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:
Josh Carr (FRE), striking Geelong's Steve Johnson: 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 has an existing poor record of three matches suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty 30%. He also has 25 demerits held over from the previous 12 months, further increasing his penalty to 187.50 demerits.
Carr challenged the charge in an effort to have the classification downgraded from intentional to reckless, which would have reduced the demerits. He argued that he saw Johnson running toward him and that the contact he made with his arm to Johnson's midriff was a reflex action just before they collided. Carr's advocate, John Prior, said the contact, which left Johnson winded, would not have occurred had Johnson not run towards Carr after Gary Ablett had just kicked a goal. Prior also suggested that it was Johnson who "charged" into Carr with such force that it spun Carr around.
However, AFL legal counsel Will Houghton argued there was no reason for Carr to make contact, as he and Johnson were running on different lines, and that Carr deliberately flung out his arm.
The tribunal jury of former players Wayne Schimmelbusch, Richard Loveridge, and David Pittman upheld the original finding of the Match Review Panel, leaving Carr with a one game suspension and 87.50 demerits held over toward his future record.
Carr's suspension is the seventh incurred by the Dockers this season, following Jeff Farmer and Michael Johnson during the preseason, Matthew Carr, Steven Dodd, and Dean Solomon. Heath Black also was suspended by the WAFL Tribunal. Solomon, Matthew Pavlich, and Des Headland have all been reported as well, but the charges were dismissed. Carr has now been reported 12 times since 2002.
Brett Kirk (SYD), bumping or making forceful contact from front-on against Port Adelaide's Chad Cornes: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points), equaling four points, a Level One offense, 125 demerit points and a one- game suspension. His clean record reduces the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand. He accepted, reducing the penalty a further 25% to 70.31 demerits, still a reprimand with the demerits held over toward his future record.
Daniel Kerr (WCE), bumping or making forceful contact from front-on against Melbourne's Cameron Bruce:
assessed as reckless conduct (two points), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points), equaling five points, a Level Two offense, 250 demerits, and a two game suspension. He has an existing poor record of one match suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty 10% as well as 35.93 demerits carried over from within the last 12 months, increasing his penalty to 310.93 demerits and a three game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 233.20 demerits and a two game suspension.
Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release & Herald Sun
TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:
Josh Carr (FRE), striking Geelong's Steve Johnson: 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 has an existing poor record of three matches suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty 30%. He also has 25 demerits held over from the previous 12 months, further increasing his penalty to 187.50 demerits.
Carr challenged the charge in an effort to have the classification downgraded from intentional to reckless, which would have reduced the demerits. He argued that he saw Johnson running toward him and that the contact he made with his arm to Johnson's midriff was a reflex action just before they collided. Carr's advocate, John Prior, said the contact, which left Johnson winded, would not have occurred had Johnson not run towards Carr after Gary Ablett had just kicked a goal. Prior also suggested that it was Johnson who "charged" into Carr with such force that it spun Carr around.
However, AFL legal counsel Will Houghton argued there was no reason for Carr to make contact, as he and Johnson were running on different lines, and that Carr deliberately flung out his arm.
The tribunal jury of former players Wayne Schimmelbusch, Richard Loveridge, and David Pittman upheld the original finding of the Match Review Panel, leaving Carr with a one game suspension and 87.50 demerits held over toward his future record.
Carr's suspension is the seventh incurred by the Dockers this season, following Jeff Farmer and Michael Johnson during the preseason, Matthew Carr, Steven Dodd, and Dean Solomon. Heath Black also was suspended by the WAFL Tribunal. Solomon, Matthew Pavlich, and Des Headland have all been reported as well, but the charges were dismissed. Carr has now been reported 12 times since 2002.
Brett Kirk (SYD), bumping or making forceful contact from front-on against Port Adelaide's Chad Cornes: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points), equaling four points, a Level One offense, 125 demerit points and a one- game suspension. His clean record reduces the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand. He accepted, reducing the penalty a further 25% to 70.31 demerits, still a reprimand with the demerits held over toward his future record.
Daniel Kerr (WCE), bumping or making forceful contact from front-on against Melbourne's Cameron Bruce:
assessed as reckless conduct (two points), low impact (one point), and high contact (two points), equaling five points, a Level Two offense, 250 demerits, and a two game suspension. He has an existing poor record of one match suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty 10% as well as 35.93 demerits carried over from within the last 12 months, increasing his penalty to 310.93 demerits and a three game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 233.20 demerits and a two game suspension.
Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release & Herald Sun
Article last changed on Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 7:05 PM EDT
