Crows launch appeal for Shane McAdam three match ban

The Crows are set to challenge Shane McAdam’s suspension after the tribunal gave the young forward a three-match ban for his bump on GWS’s Jacob Wehr.

Shane McAdam late hit on Giants Jacob Wehr. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Adelaide will appeal the three-match bump ban handed to Shane McAdam.

The forward was on Tuesday night hit with the suspension for rough conduct on Giant Jacob Wehr, but the Crows are determined to argue their case against the ban in a bid to an AFL appeal tribunal.

It is expected that the hearing will be held on Thursday evening.

Adelaide officials were reportedly furious at the verdict.

McAdam’s bump was graded as having severe impact by the match review officer which the club attempted to downgrade, arguing that there was not any forceful or significant contact with Wehr’s head and that it was not severe.

McAdam said on Wednesday morning that he was disappointed that the ban was upheld.

McAdam hit with big ban as Crows appeal looms

– Sam Landsberger

Adelaide is expected to launch an appeal against Shane McAdam’s three-week suspension as the tribunal hinted Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett might’ve got off lightly for his round 1 hit on Bailey Smith.

The Crows showed vision of Pickett’s launch at Smith during their defence of McAdam after being left staggered that Match Review Officer Michael Christian graded the impact of both incidents differently.

While Pickett’s hit was deemed ‘high’ impact, triggering a two-match ban, McAdam’s was graded as ‘severe’ – which ordered him to front the tribunal.

However both Smith and Jacob Wehr, who was bumped by McAdam, escaped injury and played out their round 1 matches.

“It was never my intention to harm Jacob (Wehr) and I am glad that he didn’t sustain any injury,” McAdam said.

“I am disappointed with the outcome of the tribunal and understand the Club will consider any avenue to appeal the decision.”

Shane McAdam has been sent straight to the tribunal. Picture: Phil Hillyard

After two hours the tribunal banned McAdam for three matches and issued a stern warning that “the potential for injury, and serious injury” was very high.

On Pickett, the Crows argued during their defence: “Pickett effectively launches himself from the ground and his feet are above the knees of Bailey Smith. It was classified as high impact, lower than the impact in this case (severe)”.

Gleeson responded during his verdict: “There appears to be a slightly more glancing aspect to the impact then occurred here. If we are wrong about that, we note that the guidelines say that we are not bound by the examples, and it ought not be assumed that we would necessarily grade impact in the Pickett matter as high impact, and not severe”.

Gleeson added: “We emphasise however, that we have not, and should not, considered all of the evidence in that matter. Our observations are based only off the viewing of the incident this evening”.

The Crows challenged all aspects of the Match Review Officer’s findings – that McAdam’s bump on Jacob Wehr was careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. But all three gradings were upheld.

The Crows said assessing bumps from a potential to cause injury point of view has “severe limitations” and that the ‘severe’ impact grading was “totally wrong”.

McAdam is shoved after the incident. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The AFL argued that McAdam had options to either tackle or “convert long strides into short steps” instead of planting his feet and launching at Wehr.

But the Crows rejected that, saying Wehr had possession of the ball and so “it’s entirely legitimate for a bump to be laid”.

Wehr was not injured and the Crows sought statements from Giants’ club doctor Bassam Moses as well as Dr Robert Crowther, who has a PhD in human movement and biomechanics in their defence.

They showed footage of Patrick Dangerfield’s sickening bump on Jake Kelly in 2021, which was graded as severe, as well as Lance Franklin’s bump on Sam Collins, which was classified as medium impact despite clear contact with the head.

The tribunal was comfortable with the Dangerfield hit, which broke Kelly’s nose and left him concussed, and McAdam’s bump both being graded as ‘severe’ impact.

McAdam will miss matches against Richmond, Port Adelaide and Fremantle.

Crow says monster hit ‘not as bad as Kozzie’s’

– Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Adelaide young gun Josh Rachele says teammate Shane McAdam’s bump on GWS youngster Jacob Wehr wasn’t on the same level that has led to Kysaiah Pickett copping a two-match ban.

McAdam levelled a huge bump on Wehr as he was gathering possession late in the third term.

While he didn’t leave the ground, McAdam went right through Wehr, who was sent for a Head Impact Assessment, and was reported on the spot.

Rachele told News Corp on Sunday that he thought it was “touch and go” after watching it back.

“We looked back on it, he definitely got his chest, but might have got some head-high contact,” he said.

“So we will just see what the review says, because looking back on Kozzie Pickett’s one the other night, that looked a lot worse and that only got two weeks.

“It will be touch and go, I reckon, but if he does miss we have some great depth that can step up.”

Adelaide’s Shane McAdam is confronted after his hit on Jacob Wehr. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Pickett’s bump on Bailey Smith, in which both his feet left the ground, was classed as careless, high impact and to the head of the Bulldog by match review officer Michael Christian.

Smith returned to the field after the bump, which counted in the favour of the Melbourne livewire.

Wehr also played out the match after passing the HIA, which should count in favour of McAdam.

North Melbourne premiership player David King said he expected McAdam to face a ban.

“He set himself, and followed through he is in a world of pain,” King said.

“That is exactly what we are trying to stamp out of the game.”

Jacob Wehr has been helped from the ground following this incident.#AFLGiantsCrowspic.twitter.com/RBSwwK1mk8

— AFL (@AFL) March 19, 2023

Post-game Crows coach Matthew Nicks said he needed to see more vision of the incident before offering a view.

“I saw it live so I only got one look at it, and I haven’t seen the replay, so it’s a hard one to make comment on,” Nicks said.

Giants coach Adam Kingsley said he didn’t think it was a “huge issue”.

“I sort of missed it at the time. The only thing I can see is we missed Wehry for 15 minutes, fortunately he was able to come back on without concussion, so we were lucky in that sense,” Kingsley said.

Former Crows captain Rory Sloane might also come under the microscope after he was involved in a bump that left Giants defender Lachie Whitfield concussed.

Sloane was involved in another incident in which GWS star Josh Kelly left the game due to concussion, when the Giants gun was sandwiched by the Crows veteran and ruckman Reilly O’Brien.