AFL Round 10: Lachie Hunter suspended after tense tribunal hearing

Lachie Hunter’s one-man ban for front-on contact has been upheld at the tribunal after a tense hearing where the Demons wingman defended his right to contest the ball.

Lachie Hunter. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Melbourne wingman Lachie Hunter will miss Saturday’s game against Fremantle at the MCG after having his one-game forceful front-on contact ban upheld.

The tribunal on Tuesday night rejected the Demons’ arguments that Hunter had no realistic alternative than to contest the ball the way he did when he collided with Connor Rozee during the third quarter of Friday night’s match.

Hunter gave evidence saying he only turned to brace himself at the very last second because he initially intended to grab the ball, before sticking his left foot and left hand out to stop Rozee from tapping it forward into space.

The former Western Bulldog believed he showed a duty of care to himself and Rozee by “stopping dead in my tracks” once he realised there would be contact.

He described Rozee’s sliding, lunging approach to the footy as unexpected and “extremely dangerous”.

“I think I’m doing my best to keep my eyes on the ball given I’m about to make contact with an 80kg bloke,” Hunter said.

“I think I’ve done all I can to absolutely halt my momentum.”

Lachie Hunter collides with Connor Rozee.

Match review officer Michael Christian had deemed Hunter’s collision to be careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.

The tribunal agreed with the AFL’s representative, Andrew Woods, that Hunter did not make a genuine attempt to contest the ball.

Woods said it was unreasonable that Hunter ran towards Rozee in the manner he did and turned his hip into him at the last moment because contact the way it unfolded was inevitable.

Hunter was articulate but blunt in some of his responses to the AFL’s questioning.

When Woods suggested Hunter could have moved left or right to avoid contact with Rozee, Hunter said: “No, you’re asking me to concede the ball to Port Adelaide … to tap it down the field”.

When asked by Gleeson if he could answer a few more questions, Hunter said: “I’ve got nowhere to be, mate, but Saturday at the ‘G.”

Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said Hunter should have realised Rozee was contesting the ball at speed, was low to the ground and was reaching for it with his head exposed, leaving him vulnerable to a head or neck injury if the Demons player collided into him the way he did.

Gleeson also rejected Melbourne’s view that Rozee tapping the ball the way he did could not have been reasonably foreseen.

MRO delivers verdict on Crows livewire after bump

Adelaide star Izak Rankine has escaped suspension for his bump on the Western Bulldogs’ Taylor Duryea and is able to face Brisbane next week in a big boost for the Crows.

The Crows small forward was reported for forceful front-on contact during Adelaide’s loss to the Bulldogs in Ballarat on Saturday.

Rankine was cited when he collided with Duryea when both went for a loose ball during the third quarter.

While the AFL has launched a hard line crackdown on bumps this year, especially when a player is caught in the head, Rankine did not cop a ban from the MRO.

Izak Rankine is set to come under fire from the MRO for this hit on Duryea.

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On Sunday the MRO said the incident was assessed and it was determined no further action needed to be taken.

“The ball is loose on the wing. Rankine and Duryea approach the ball from opposing directions and high contact is made by Rankine on Duryea,” the league said.

“It was the view of the MRO that Rankine was contesting the ball and it was reasonable for Rankine to contest the ball in that way.”

Duryea also played out the game, which also helped Rankine’s cause.

Being reported summed up a tough day at the office for Rankine who had eight disposals and kicked a goal as the Crows were on the of a 45-point loss in Ballarat.

Taylor Duryea is checked by a Bulldogs doctor. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The league also moved to clarify an incident involving Sydney’s Will Hayward and North Melbourne’s George Wardlaw from the second quarter of the Swans’ controversial win over the Roos.

Hayward made high contact with the first-game Roo when both jumped at each other to contest the ball in the centre of the ground.

The MRO said that Hayward’s actions were “not unreasonable in the circumstances” and, like Rankine, he escaped any sanction.

Three players received fines for their parts in a melee in the Q-Clash between Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Lions young gun Will Ashcroft, teammate Brandon Starcevich and the Suns’ Nick Holman all copped fines for their part in the second quarter scuffle.

Ashcroft and Holman were fined $1500, with it able to be reduced to $1000 with an early plea while Starcevich was hit with a $2500 penalty, which can be reduced to $1500 with an early plea.

Originally published as AFL Round 10: Lachie Hunter suspended after tense tribunal hearing