Colac footballer Jack Skinner will answer a striking charge at the tribunal next week

Geelong football peak body AFL Barwon has explained why a tribunal hearing over a striking charge has been moved to next week.

Colac footballer Jack Skinner was reported for striking in the match against Bell Park. Picture: Mark Wilson

A Colac debutant will be free to play this Saturday against North Shore despite having a striking charge hanging over his head.

Former Geelong Falcon Jack Skinner will have to wait until next Wednesday night to contest his charge at the tribunal.

Skinner was reported for striking Bell Park’s Thomas Pearson in the second quarter of the opening round Tigers v Dragons match on Saturday evening at Central Reserve in a reported off-the-ball incident.

However, the tribunal hearing will not be held until April 16.

AFL Barwon spokesman Sean Atkinson clarified that neither club was in a position to have the case heard this week.

Meanwhile, St Joseph’s player James Hickey accepted a reprimand for striking Newtown & Chilwell’s Archie Lazzaro in the fourth quarter of the GFNL match at Elderslie Reserve.

Colac footballer Jack Skinner was reported for striking. Picture: Mark Wilson

It was deemed careless conduct, body contact and low impact but was reduced from a one-game ban with an early guilty plea.

In the GDFL, four charges were thrown out, one due to inconclusive vision and the other three instances were later deemed not reportable.

Meanwhile, the Geelong Football Umpires League appealed a pair of two-week suspensions levelled against St Albans’ Ben Gadd for behaving in an obsence manner, and low level abusive or obscene language, towards an umpire.

In a separate statement to this masthead, GFUL director Josh Brown said the behaviour from Gadd was “disappointing”.

“Take away whether they are an umpire, people shouldn’t treat people like that regardless, it’s not a great start to the year and I hope I don’t need to make further comment on issues like this throughout the year,” Brown said.

Originally published as Colac footballer Jack Skinner will answer a striking charge at the tribunal next week