Southern league: star forward deregistered after suspension for striking

A STAR forward in a southern Melbourne suburban league will appeal a suspension that has led to a life ban under the AFL Victoria 16-match threshold.

ASHWOOD star and co-captain Dale Carroll will appeal a suspension that has brought him a life ban under AFL Victoria’s 16-match deregistration rule.

The veteran goalkicker last night copped a five-game penalty when he appeared at the Southern Football Netball League tribunal over an incident against Black Rock in Division 3 last Saturday.

Black Rock asked the league to investigate.

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Video evidence showing a marking contest between Carroll and a Jets player was presented at the hearing.

Ashwood pointed out in his defence that the umpire didn’t pay a free kick in the passage of play.

The Black Rock player needed six stitches for a bad cut above his right eye. He also suffered concussion and took no further part in the game.

Carroll, 34, pleaded not guilty to striking but was found guilty and the five-match suspension took his career total of suspensions to 18.

Under AFL Victoria rules players are deregistered when they reach 16 matches.

Carroll is one of Ashwood’s most decorated players — last year he booted 45 goals and was named at centre half forward in the Division 3 team of the year — and his club regards him as a “hard but fair’’ player.

Carroll was distraught after the hearing and Ashwood president Daniel Egan said today the club would be appealing, taking the matter to an AFL Victoria panel if necessary.

Carroll has had another fine season for Ashy, booting 41 goals from 12 games and helping his team to fourth place on the ladder.

SFNL chief executive officer Mike Palmer said this afternoon Ashwood considered the penalty “too severe’’.

“We absolutely support their right to appeal,’’ he said.

“It’s always pretty sad when the penalties rack up and someone can’t continue to play. But if there are a number of guilty offences then that needs to be the outcome obviously.’’

It has been a tumultuous time in the Southern league, with two matches called off last week and umpires making 13 reports.

On Tuesday Lyndale confirmed it would be forfeiting its last two games in what president Ed McLean called a stand against bad player behaviour.

The league said this morning it had also initiated two other investigations.