Ovens & Murray: North Albury player Riley Smith suspended for 10 matches

A country football tribunal has sent a “clear message” that head high hits won’t be tolerated. Go inside the tribunal hearing.

North Albury’s Riley Smith has been handed the biggest suspension this season when he was outed for 10 matches for an off-the-ball hit in a reserves match on Anzac Day.

The Ovens and Murray tribunal heard the three-and-a-half hour case on Thursday night following an investigation into the incident that left Albury’s Josh Hudson concussed and still suffering headaches and migraines since the April 25 match.

Smith will also face court in Albury next week after being charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm for the alleged hit.

It was found during the hearing that at a follow-up scan had revealed a small benign tumour on Hudson’s brain.

Hudson, an Albury policeman, is back at work, but has not returned to the field due to stricter concussion protocols introduced this season.

Tribunal chairman Wayne Taylor said it needed “to send a clear message” that Smith’s actions weren’t acceptable.

Investigations officer Graeme Simpfendorfer graded the hit on Albury player Josh Hudson as intentional, severe and high. Picture: Andrew Brownbill

He said the incident and its “aggravating factors”, such as being off-the-ball and the potential for serious injury, contributed to the heavy suspension.

It was double the base penalty for an incident graded as intentional, severe and high by investigations officer Graeme Simpfendorfer, a retired Wodonga police detective.

Smith pleaded not guilty.

Albury called five witnesses including Hudson’s teammate Chris Lockhart, who said he heard a “sickening crack” from the blow that followed a push and shove between Smith and North Albury player Jackson Carey.

Carey was called as a witness by North Albury and disputed evidence from the Albury witnesses that the blow from Smith was made with a “swinging arm”.

“He was coming in to hip-and-shoulder (Hudson) and support a younger member of the team,” Carey said.

Smith said he made contact with Hudson’s neck region with his forearm tucked into his body.

“There was no intention for high contact,” Smith said.

Asked by tribunal member Paul James if the contact was very moderate, Smith said: “Correct”.

Albury’s advocate Lindsay Rollings, in his final submission, asked the tribunal as part of its deliberations on penalty, to “send a message” that behind-the-play incidents weren’t acceptable.

Smith played at senior level last Saturday against Wangaratta Rovers.

Originally published as Ovens & Murray: North Albury player Riley Smith suspended for 10 matches