Southern league: Clayton’s Phil Kurth suspended for four matches over bump on Endeavour Hills opponent

A Clayton Football Club player has been rubbed out for four weeks after a crude bump knocked a player out, but wasn’t reported on the day. Do you think the suspension was warranted? Watch the video and decide.

A Clayton player has received a four-week suspension over a bump that knocked out an Endeavour Hills opponent during the clubs’ Anzac Day match.

The Southern league match review panel cited Phil Kurth for intentionally engaging in rough conduct against Hills captain Nathan Strom in the third quarter of the Round 3 Division 3 game at Meade Reserve.

The case was sent directly to the independent tribunal last night.

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Strom was knocked out in the incident and taken from the ground to The Alfred hospital.

Play was held up for almost 30 minutes.

Footage of the incident sent to Leader Local Footy showed no free kick was paid against Kurth and no Endeavour Hills players remonstrated with him.

No report was made by the umpires.

Kurth pleaded not guilty at the tribunal hearing but was found guilty and suspended for four games.

The penalty came on the same night as a Ringwood player copped a six-week ban after an opponent suffered a broken neck after a knock.

Clayton coach Jason Smith said this afternoon: “We believe it was an unfortunate football incident. Our thoughts and our priorities straight after it were with (Strom).

“We as a club straight after the game sent several messages of well-wishes directly to the Endeavour Hills player that were warmly received by him and his family.

“In terms of whether we agree with the decision of the tribunal, that’s pretty much irrelevant. We just hope from this point on that decisions made in the future are consistent with this one and if that’s the case and they are consistent, we’ll be happy as a club.’’

Smith said the Clays were supporting Kurth.

“He’s taken the whole scenario pretty hard and taken it to heart as well,’’ he said.

Smith said he understood it was the first time Kurth had been reported.

Endeavour Hills player Nathan Strom was knocked unconscious during the Anzac Day match against Clayton.

The Southern league tribunal dealt with four other cases last night.

Clayton’s Gerard Imbriano was reported for intentionally or carelessly striking Nick Anderson of Endeavour Hills but was found not guilty.

Danny Hartley of Lyndale faced a charge of intentionally or carelessly kneeing Lyndhurst’s Aaron Browning in the Division 4 match last Saturday. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty and was suspended for one match.

Lyndhurst’s Brodie Kiss was cited by the MRP for making forceful contact to the head of Lyndale’s Brenton Miles. The MRP offered Miles a week but he chose to contest the charge and was found not guilty.

Southern league CEO Lee Hartman.

Port Melbourne Colts star Chris Deluca was also cited by the match review panel for intentionally or carelessly engaging in rough conduct against East Malvern’s Mark Tyrell in the Division 1 match at Dunlop Reserve last Saturday.

The MRP offered him a two-match suspension. Deluca chose to go to the tribunal and was found not guilty.

SFNL chief executive Lee Hartman said the new MRP system was working well.

All matches are being filmed this year.

“I think we’ve had a dozen cases go to the tribunal whereas in previous years, without the vision, they would have gone through to the keeper,’’ Hartman said.

“I think it’s helping tidy up the league. Clubs and umpires can ask for things to be viewed rather than what’s happened in the past, where they have to put up money to have lengthy investigations.

“We want to drive it down (the number of tribunal cases) and there was always going to be this education period where players and clubs now know that they’re being filmed.

“But anyone who steps outside the line will be dealt with. I think it gives greater assurance to participants that if something does go amiss we can review it and act on it quickly.’’