Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray loses AFL tribunal appeal, will miss opening round against Dockers

PORT Adelaide’s $10,000 appeal to the tribunal to have Robbie Gray’s one-match ban thrown out failed on Tuesday night when it was adjudged his contact with Jeremy McGovern was a bump.

Robbie Gray outside the tribunal on Tuesday night. Picture: AAP/DEAN MARTIN

• Bone’s Beef: $10k risk not worth it

PORT Adelaide’s $10,000 appeal to the AFL tribunal to have Robbie Gray’s one-match ban for rough contact thrown out failed on Tuesday night when it was adjudged his high contact with Jeremy McGovern was a bump.

Gray, represented by Mark Griffin QC, failed to prove his action was a “brace” rather than a “bump” which led the jury to hand down a verdict within 10 minutes of deliberation.

A disappointed Gray took the decision on the chin after giving evidence and sitting through Griffin and AFL legal counsel Andrew Woods present their sides of the argument as well as questioning and cross examining Gray.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” Gray said as he left the video hook-up in the city last night. “I thought we had a good case.

Robbie Gray outside the tribunal on Tuesday night. Picture: AAP/DEAN MARTIN

“But we move on, I suppose.

“Take the verdict and I miss round one.

“But I’ve got plenty (of matches) in the rest of the year to play.”

Tribunal chairman David Jones had instructed the jury, which was made up of Wayne Henwood, Michael Jamison and Richard Loveridge, three questions to consider — all three of them over which the two parties disagreed.

The first, which settled the case, was whether it was a bump or, as Griffin argued, and evasive action which had the welfare of both players in mind.

Woods argued that the word “brace” was misused by Port Adelaide and should be reserved to the player who was stationary or the receiver of impact, rather than the player who caused the contact.

Port Adelaide had evidence that there was only 1.28 seconds between the final bounce of the ball and the collision, of which only about a third had given Gray a chance to consider his options when it was clear he would be second to the ball.

Port Adelaide argued he had slowed down to minimise impact; the AFL disagreed.

The second bone of contention — which became irrelevant as Gray had been found guilty on the question of bump — was whether he had contested the ball.

The AFL argued no, Port Adelaide yes — until the final split second.

The third and final dispute was whether, when Gray realised he would not win the football, there had been an alternative way for him to act.

Woods, for the AFL, said he could have potentially veered, attempted to tackle or contest the ball but Gray said trying to tackle or put his head over the ball would have led to an even more dangerous situation.

There was no dispute over the high contact or the medium impact of the collision between players Gray and McGovern.

It was also tabled that McGovern had been assessed for concussion by West Coast’s medical staff.