‘Shocking’ scenes as Sydney Swans’ Harry Cunningham knocked out cold
An Essendon star could be facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines after knocking an opponent out cold with a brutal hit on Saturday.
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Essendon forward Peter Wright may have just booked himself in for an early season holiday after a horror hit at the SCG.
In the opening quarter the towering Bombers forward slammed into Sydney’s Harry Cunningham in a “shocking” collision.
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Cunningham sat under the ball as Wright came storming in from a long way back before he tucked his arm in and left the ground before collecting his opponent.
The Swans star hit the turf in a heap as he laid on the ground out cold before play was eventually brought to a halt.
As trainers rushed out to his side, Sydney players began taking it up to Wright as a brawl broke out on the 50m arc.
The mobile stretcher was brought out onto the ground and took Cunningham off at the bench before he walked down the race and into the rooms by himself.
CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy wrote: “Swans trainers calling for the stretcher here for Harry Cunningham after being hit by Wright. He has barely moved. Wright didn’t even make an attempt for the ball. Shocking stuff.”
News Corps’ Tim Michell wrote: “Peter Wright just booked himself a month holiday.”
You can watch the horror incident in the video player above
Speaking in commentary for Channel 7, Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling said Wright would have a “big case to answer for” from the MRO.
“It was a huge hit,” Ling said.
“A huge collision. Straight away every on the ground knew Cunningham was in a lot of trouble.
“I don’t think it’s going to matter if it was a football act and play on the ball. I think with the way everything shifted over the off-season with Brayden Maynard, I don’t think the AFL are going to care if it was a football act or not.
“I think they’re going to put the responsibility onto Peter Wright there and say he turned, bumped and got a player on the head and concussed him. I think he’s going to end up with a big case to answer for.”
The AFL will take a long look at the incident with collisions that result in concussions coming under heavy scrutiny.
St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster copped a seven-week ban over his ugly bump that left North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin knocked out in a pre-season match.
Webster was referred directly to the tribunal after the sickening hit rocked the AFL, just days after Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper was handed a four-match ban.
Webster’s ban was the longest since Andrew Gaff’s eight-week suspension in 2018 for striking Andrew Brayshaw.
AFL 360’s Gerard Whateley said the huge ban was in line with the way the AFL had been moving.
“It’s a new age … this is an escalation that marries up with all that we know around the way the AFL wants to combat head knocks and also marries up with the community desire for these big numbers. That’s a huge deterrent,” Whateley said.
While Wright still has the rest of the game to play, he’ll face a nervous wait over the incident which could result in him spending time on the sidelines.
The Bombers jumped out of the gate with two early goals before Sydney struck back with their first following the sickening incident.
Originally published as ‘Shocking’ scenes as Sydney Swans’ Harry Cunningham knocked out cold
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