Southern league 2019: Doveton Eagles player banned for life after second deregistration

A Melbourne footy player has been banned from the game for life after an unsuccessful appeal over his latest suspension. WATCH THE INCIDENT

Doveton Eagles player Travis Graeske has been banned from football for life after being deregistered for the second time.

Graeske was given a two-game suspension by the Southern league independent tribunal last week for rough conduct towards Springvale Districts opponent Tom Cooper.

He appealed the penalty last night but it was upheld, taking his career suspension tally to 22 weeks.

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Under AFL Victoria rules players are banned once they are suspended for a total of at least 16 matches.

AFL Victoria records show Graeske was deregistered in July, 2014. He was out of football for 12 months but the state authority gave him permission to resume playing with Doveton Eagles in 2016.

He was not reported in 2016, ’17 or ’18.

But last night’s suspension ended his career — AFL Victoria rules state that players and officials who are “successful in gaining an exemption to play/officiate and subsequently re-offend … will be automatically be de-registered with no further right to apply for an exemption or to appeal’’.

Travis Graeske in action for Doveton against Springvale Districts earlier this year. Picture: Josie Hayden

Graeske had been cited by the SFNL’s new match review panel for “intentionally engaging in rough conduct’’ against Cooper in the second quarter of the Round 6 senior match between Doveton Eagles and Springvale Districts at Power Reserve on Saturday, May 18.

He pleaded not guilty at the tribunal but was found guilty and received a two-match suspension.

Graeske had also been reported earlier in the season for “intentionally or carelessly striking’’ Springvale Districts player Thomas Wilkinson.

He pleaded not guilty, was found guilty and received a reprimand.

Eagles president Shane McGrath said this morning Graeske and the club were disappointed with the decision.

“We think Travis is doing a lot of things right, and we obviously disagree with the finding,’’ McGrath said.

“As you can imagine he’s fairly disappointed. Footy means a lot to him. He lives and breathes it, to be honest with you. To no longer be able to play, he’s fairly upset at the moment.

“Yes, he’s got those weeks (22), but he hasn’t had any weeks for a few years. He sat out of footy for 12 months and did some anger management courses and that sort of stuff. To his credit he went through all of that and jumped all the hurdles we put in front of him. We then felt comfortable to take him back and get him playing again.

“Since then he hasn’t put a foot wrong as far as we’re concerned. We’re really happy with his behaviour. Those weeks on the board don’t really reflect the player he is. We think he plays the game in the right spirit.’’

McGrath said the Eagles were “fairly supportive of what the league’s doing with the MRP and the systems it’s got in place, but obviously we feel they’ve got this one wrong’’.

He said the field umpire was 10m away from the incident, saw it clearly, reviewed video footage and still believed it wasn’t reportable.

McGrath said the umpire’s match-day observer was also at the match and didn’t think it warranted a report.

A biomechanics expert represented Graeske last night, submitting the incident was “incidental and not deliberate’’, he said.

Travis Graeske was suspended for two weeks for this incident, triggering a life ban.

“We’re left scratching our head when the umpires disagree with what the MRP’s handing down,’’ McGrath said.

Southern league chief executive officer Lee Hartman said Graeske had exhausted his appeal avenue and the league advised AFL Victoria of the outcome this morning.

“After his first deregistration he appealed after 12 months and the AFL Victoria appeals panel saw fit to give him one last chance,’’ Hartman said.

“He got through ’16, 17 and 18 without a blemish but was reported earlier this year and received a reprimand. He then got reported again for this incident (involving Cooper against Springvale Districts).

“Once you get to 16 weeks you are deregistered but you do have that appeal mechanism, which personally I don’t agree with.

“They (players) get a warning at 10 weeks. They get deregistered at 16 weeks. It’s a lot of chances they get given.’’

Hartman said the deregistration policy was a “great rule’’, helping create a “safe and welcoming environment at all levels of football’’.