Sydney champion Luke Parker has didn’t minimise his ban for bumping a VFL opponent on the Tribunal, copping six weeks on the sidelines.
The midfielder was referred on to the VFL Tribunal for a collision which left Frankston’s Josh Smith with facial fractures requiring hospitalisation and a concussion.
The incident was graded as careless conduct with excessive contact and extreme impression.
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The Swans argued there have been distinctive and compelling circumstances, given Parker had been suspended for only a week in his 300+ recreation profession (throughout all ranges), and that the bump being initially body-on-body contact earlier than an unintentional head conflict warranted a ban lower than the bottom four-week sanction.
The VFL requested for a six-week ban and the Tribunal discovered Parker didn’t have an exlempary report, and that the accidents meant it was not “on the decrease finish of careless” as Sydney argued.
The VFL had the choice of handing Parker a four-week suspension however despatched him to the Tribunal as a substitute.
Parker was solely enjoying for the reserves aspect as a result of he has been unable to interrupt right into a red-hot AFL midfield that includes Brownlow Medal favorite Isaac Heeney plus commerce recruit Taylor Adams.
The Swans mentioned they might problem the bottom sanction of 4 weeks, on good character and given the unintentional nature of the pinnacle conflict, and in opposition to the VFL’s upgrading of the cost which noticed them asking for six weeks – however in any other case plead responsible.
The medical report said Smith will miss 6-8 weeks having suffered a concussion, and a number of fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone, and he’ll bear surgical procedure when in a position.
The VFL argued Parker may have contested the ball however as a substitute contested his opponent.
“It was on the very low finish of unreasonableness and carelessness for conduct amounting to a extreme impression excessive bump,” Nick Kidd argued for the Swans, making an attempt to have Parker’s GPS information included in proof.
They mentioned Parker declerated whereas approaching the participant and diminished his velocity by 67%, transferring at 1.3m/s on the level of contact. That’s thought of a sluggish stroll, with above 2.8 m/s thought of a jog.
“From Parker’s standpoint, operating in a straight line nearly in entrance of and in line of sight of the sufferer participant, a perception on the a part of Parker (was) fairly held that the sufferer participant would’ve seen him and anticipated contact,” the Swans mentioned.
Sydney additionally went via a collection of stills which steered the primary level of impression was between Parker’s shoulder and Smith’s physique and chest, adopted by “an unintentional head conflict”.
Parker defined he had been suspended for a complete of 1 week following over 300 video games of VFL, AFL and pre-season expertise.
“The ball’s spilled out to my course so I’ve made the choice to exit and win the ball,” he mentioned.
“My teammate has toe-poked the ball previous me, therefore me slowing down. I’ve seen Smith contesting the competition so I assumed I’d placed on a block or shepherd to provide my teammate abit more room to contest the ball.”
He estimated he had laid 100-200 related blocks in his profession with out head contact.
Parker mentioned the “whiplash” of the bump to the physique noticed Smith make contact with the again of his head, and that his shoulder/again didn’t make contact with Smith in any respect.
“I felt I used to be fairly low and my ft hadn’t left the bottom,” he mentioned.
Parker reached out to Smith a day or two after the incident “to see how he was going” and apologise.
Requested whether or not he may have blocked Smith with out a bump, Parker agreed however mentioned he didn’t go into the incident aspiring to trigger hurt, including “a block and a bump I discover very related”.
He argued Smith couldn’t have impacted the ball however may nonetheless impression the following contest.
“The very fact there was no free kick given, I assumed it was inside the guidelines of what we had been allowed to do,” Parker mentioned.
The Tribunal chair questioned how Parker may have an exemplary report warranting distinctive and compelling circumstances when he had been suspended earlier than, to which the Swans pointed to the place he performs and the prolonged of his profession.
The VFL pointed to the principles round tough conduct (excessive bumps) and the potential to trigger critical damage, “placing it on the excessive finish of the classification” in distinction to the Swans’ argument and warranting a six-game suspension.
“Smith was not in place to impression the competition … and was not anticipating the contact. Accordingly Parker failed in his obligation of care,” VFL counsel Morgan McLay mentioned.
“This isn’t simply the potential to trigger damage however an precise damage.”
Initially revealed as Luke Parker cops monster ban as ‘good bloke clause’ bid fails
