Watch: Mernda’s Josh Delaney cops ban from Northern Football League tribunal
VIDEO: Mernda’s Josh Delaney has copped a second big suspension in two years while there’s also bad news for one of the NFL’s biggest recruits.
Northern
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On-field violence has again marred a match involving Mernda.
Former Demons captain Josh Delaney was suspended for six weeks on Wednesday night.
The Northern Football League tribunal finding him guilty of blatantly punching Laurimar’s Matt Gersh during Saturday’s clash at Waterview Reserve.
The ban takes Delaney to the edge of a life-time ban having accrued 14 weeks of suspensions.
Twelve of those weeks have come in the past two years.
Delaney was hit with an initial 12-week suspension last season for striking against Old Eltham Collegians before it was reduced to six weeks on appeal – saving his immediate playing future.
He will be eligible to return in Round 16 against Reservoir.
Gersh runs towards teammate Jacson Cecil and Delaney and is knocked to the ground by the seemingly unprovoked attack.
Mernda’s Kyle Yankos looks on in disbelief while Cecil briefly remonstrates before playing on.
Gersh remains grounded until being checked by a club trainer but reportedly played out the game.
It’s the third time this season – and second time against Laurimar – a Demons player has been involved in an violent incident.
Riley Black was hit with a six-week ban for a hit on Laurimar captain Mitch Thompson in Round 3.
In Round 7, Will Crouch was suspended for five weeks for striking against Kilmore but that was reduced to two weeks on appeal.
Both Black and Crouch will be eligible to return following the Queen’s Birthday break when Mernda faces Lalor at Waterview Reserve.
Across all Northern Football League senior competitions, the Demons have racked up 14 weeks of suspensions, the most of any team.
The next worst club has eight weeks.
Mernda has been contact for comment.
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Meanwhile, Whittlesea’s difficult week got worse with star forward Jarrad Waite banned for two weeks for rough conduct and will miss critical games against Heidelberg and Bundoora.
West Preston-Lakeside co-captain Nathan Valladares will also miss the next fortnight after a rough conduct charge, with the Roosters to face Bundoora and Greensborough.
Northcote Park reserve grade player Elias Naddaf joins Black and Delaney with the biggest suspensions of the season after being found guilty of striking against Whittlesea.
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