Torquay forward Luke Mahony accepts reprimand as Drysdale reserves player cops two-game ban for umpire abuse

A Drysdale player has accepted a ban for abusing an umpire, while the match review has made a call on an in-form Torquay player.

Luke Mahony is free to play. Picture: Mark Wilson

Torquay forward Luke Mahony is free to play in his side’s preliminary final clash with Drysdale after accepting a guilty plea for high contact.

Mahony was sent off with a yellow card for a high hit on Anglesea’s Will Batson in the final term of the Roos’ upset win

The forward was offered a one-week suspension but chose to accept a guilty plea, which downgraded the charge to a reprimand.

It is a boost for the Tigers given Mahony kicked three goals and was named among the best in their seven-point loss on Saturday.

It comes as Drysdale reserves player Digby Ford has accepted a two-game suspension for umpire abuse.

The AFL Barwon match review ruled the abuse was “high level obscene insulting” conduct with “low volume”.

Ford’s Hawks were knocked out of the finals after a narrow four-point loss to Queenscliff, meaning he is set to be sidelined for the first two games next season.

Meanwhile, Newtown & Chillwell’s Alex Pocock will face the AFL Barwon tribunal on Wednesday night after his incident on South Barwon’s Lachie Noble was graded as intentional, low impact and high contact.

Pocock could have accepted a one-match guilty plea but has decided to challenge the ruling.

St Joseph’s player James Hickey is available for the final round of the GFNL season after pleading guilty to rough conduct on Lara’s Nic Stone.

Originally published as Torquay forward Luke Mahony accepts reprimand as Drysdale reserves player cops two-game ban for umpire abuse