Brent Harvey slapped with a three-week ban while Nat Fyfe’s challenge proves unsuccessful

BRENT Harvey is handed a three-week ban for misconduct while Nat Fyfe’s appeal fails and will serve his two-match ban. HAVE YOUR SAY

north melboourne veteran brent harvey puts his finals chances on the line at the afl tribunal from 4:30pm Picture : Mike Keating.

NORTH Melbourne’s finals aspirations were dealt a devastating blow last night when champion Brent Harvey was handed a three-game suspension for elbowing Liam Picken on Sunday.

The club this morning decided against appealing the 341-point penalty which will sideline the veteran Roo for the last two games of the regular season and, most importantly, their first-round cutthroat elimination final.

North Melbourne football manager Geoff Walsh said the club couldn’t find grounds for an appeal after receiving a fair hearing.

“Immediately after the decision was announced and through until this morning, we’ve been exploring avenues for an appeal,” Walsh told his club’s website.

“However, we have been unable to identify anything that could help reduce the penalty for Brent.”

Brent Harvey of the Kangaroos leaves after receiving a three week suspension at the AFL tribunal Photo by Michael Dodge

Harvey, 36, looked gutted as the panel found him guilty of misconduct, taking into account a 40 per cent loading stemming from Harvey’s poor record.

It was due to expire in only three week.

@AFL how about we start protecting our star players from missing games eg Harvey Wells Fyfe from annoying little taggers who hold and cheat?

— shane harvey (@sharvs9) August 20, 2014

Harvey has repeatedly said he is driven by the desire to win a second premiership but the absence of arguably the club’s most important player for the first final is a major blow to the Roos’ hopes of progressing past its first September hurdle.

They play Adelaide on Saturday followed by Melbourne in Round 23.

Tribunal foreman Wayne Henwood said Harvey’s actions, applying about three seconds of force to Picken’s throat in their second term tangle on Sunday, were unreasonable and unsportsmanlike.

@NorthKangaroos if @Boomer_29 had teammates to stand up and put picken on his arse he wouldn't have to get in a wrestle with him#protecthm

— matt campbell (@kake33) August 19, 2014

The panel was also asked to factor into any penalty arising from the first aspect of the misconduct charge where Harvey flipped Picken over the Roo’s back.

Harvey tried to argue he only put pressure on Picken’s throat, using his forearm and not his elbow, as a way to get up off his opponent.

Brent Harvey puts his forearm into Liam Picken’s neck.

Harvey said he was restricted in his movement due to the tight hold Picken had of the Roos’ jumper and was adamant “at no stage was I trying to hurt him.”

“He was pulling me down with force, I was trying to get up with force,” Harvey said.

“It does look like my elbow is in his neck region but I was just trying to push up and move on.

“That was the only leverage I had to get back up.”

Harvey’s player advocate Justin Hannebery said his client’s actions should be assessed at the lower end of the misconduct spectrum.

“It wasn’t deliberate, it wasn’t targeted, it doesn’t involve two hands,” Hannebery said.

Harvey pleaded guilty to the misconduct charge on the grounds of the flip but not on the elbow.

AFL counsel Jeff Gleeson QC said the tribunal had to pay regard to potential for serious injury as “the neck and throat are vulnerable parts of the body” and recommended a penalty “in the four week range”.

Gleeson said Harvey had alternative ways to get up other than to use his elbow forcefully.

Picken did not suffer any injury or require any medical treatment, according to the Western Bulldogs medical report.

He is available for selection this weekend.

Henwood, David Neitz and David Pittman made up the tribunal.

Fremantle star Nat Fyfe lost his bid to have a two-game striking ban overturned.

Originally published as Brent Harvey slapped with a three-week ban while Nat Fyfe’s challenge proves unsuccessful