Jack Reaper suffers concussion in win over Golden Square, two players suspended from it

Two Golden Square players have been handed a combined 11-week suspension which saw an opposition captain knocked out.

Jack Reaper (22) takes a mark for Gisborne in a previous match. He got injured on Saturday. Picture: Aaron Cook

The Bendigo Football League tribunal has come down hard on two Golden Square players which left the Gisborne captain knocked out.

Zack Shelton and Rory McCrann-Peters have been suspended for seven and four matches respectively after they were cited for rough conduct against Jack Reaper on Saturday.

Footage of the incident shows Reaper being taken to ground by the Golden Square pair before play continues around him from a boundary throw in as he lay motionless.

He is now facing 21 days on the sidelines, which will see him miss Gisborne’s next two matches.

“It was graded in the severe category and that’s how the outcome has landed for these two players,” AFL Central Victoria’s Cameron Tomlins said.

“There’s a matrix in place now, it gives the tribunal a guide to how this was graded.

“It’s how the outcome has landed for these two players.”

Tomlins added the injury to Reaper was factored in to the suspension as well as the evidence from all parties.

Golden Square has until 5pm Thursday afternoon to lodge an appeal.

Earlier

Gisborne might have further solidified itself as a premiership favourite with a win against Golden Square but the victory came at a big cost.

A 38-point win by the Bulldogs over last year’s grand finalists was overshadowed by an injury to captain Jack Reaper in the second quarter.

The backman, and interleague leader, was involved in a scuffle with a Golden Square player before another player became involved.

Reaper from the incident was the worst off, after he was knocked out and fell to the floor.

He was taken off the ground for treatment and never returned.

The Bulldogs captain is now recovering but will miss the next three weeks due to concussion protocols.

Gisborne captain Jack Reaper got injured last weekend. Picture: Gisborne Football Netball Club.

It rules him out of Gisborne’s next two matches against Eaglehawk and Strathfieldsaye with the Bulldogs having a bye in between.

“He is getting better and better every day,” Gisborne coach Rob Waters said.

“Under the new protocols he is out for 21 says.

“Hope he’ll be right to go in three to four weeks.”

Waters said the side dealt with his loss well with Liam Spear and Zac Vescovi stepping up in his absence.

The key now will be to get through the next two games without him.

“Losing our captain, there is a bit to make up,” Waters said.

“Not only is he our captain, he’s a ripper player. He’ll be on the sidelines helping our coaching out.”

Gisborne have been one of the best teams this season, winning three out its first four matches.

The Bulldogs showed their premiership credentials in the first quarter against Golden Square, kicking seven goals to one to lead by 38 points at the first change.

Gisborne were able to hold on to that margin for the rest of the afternoon.

“We had a really good first quarter and they made some adjustments to counter our run,” Waters said.

“It was a dogfight for the last three quarters.

“They had us on the back foot a bit (in the second term) we had to modify a couple of things and then run away from it.

“They are better team than they are going at the moment on paper.”

Waters said this year’s performances and getting back to their 2022 form, which culminated in premiership success, came from the tough times last year.

Gisborne missed the finals, forced to use their youth after a few players left and others were out with injury.

This year the experience players have returned, headlined by Pat McKenna, with the forward kicking 22 goals in four matches.

He, along with others, and the growth in the juniors have helped the club bounce back.

“We identified pretty early, and Brad (Fox) was good at that, working out where we slipped up and what we were doing wrong,” Waters said.

“It’s hard to change the course mid year and turn it around.

“Some of the older and experience players were disappointed with their output last year for whatever reason, injury and so forth.

“They had really big preseasons. A lot of those young players also got exposure last year (from the injuries).

“Things also went our way this pre-season compared to last year and adding Brad Bernacki from Essendon (VFL) helped.”

Gisborne travel up the highway to take on Eaglehawk this week in Bendigo.