GFL, GDFL and BFL MRP findings for rounds 17 and 18: Eliza Williamson to miss decider
A star Geelong goalkicker has been denied a farewell game due to suspension, leaving Belmont “devastated”. WATCH THE CLASH.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Belmont coach Nathan Bisset has labelled the decision to suspend star forward Brent Jacques for two matches as a “poor” one.
Jacques was due to line-up in his farewell game this weekend against Anakie after announcing his retirement, however was cited for engaging in rough conduct against Geelong West last round.
AFL Barwon’s Match Review Panel deemed his bump on Giant Sam Edwards as “unnecessary high contact” and offered him a two match ban.
The Lions challenged the ruling at Wednesday night’s tribunal, however were unsuccessful in erasing the ban to allow Jacques to play his final game.
“We’re all devastated for Brent … (he) doesn’t get to go out the way he would like purely because of a poor decision made by the match review panel,” Bisset said.
“From a coaching perspective, my boys are physical at the ball and Brent was as you can see in the footage, however accidents happen and that’s all it was, was an accident.”
Bisset said the club believed the clash was “careless at worst”, but didn’t warrant a suspension.
“To not be reported on the day and a free kick was given, the player got up (and) played out the game with no further issues,” he said.
“Then with Geelong West … (saying) we want this looked at and then for Brent to get two weeks, I thought that was a bit rough.
“We thought with the way it played out it was careless at worst, definitely deserved a free kick, however probably didn’t deserve a report.”
Bisset added that Jacques “plays the game hard” and was hoping that “some empathy” might have been awarded to him at the tribunal.
“Having a discussion with Brent, he’s very upset with what’s taken place, as he should be,” he said.
“Brent plays the game hard, in my time (of) knowing him he’s never crossed that line in any way shape or form, but unfortunately in this case it’s not the way the match review panel have seen it.
“I thought maybe some empathy and a bit of common sense might have went his way in the decision making process, however it hasn’t.”
North Shore was on the other side of the tribunal hearing, with young star Herschelle Carr found not guilty of kicking.
Carr was yellow carded at the weekend for kicking St Albans’ Brent Vermeulen and was offered a two-match ban by an officiating umpire, which AFL Barwon’s Match Review Panel agreed with.
He challenged the decision at Wednesday night’s tribunal and was found not guilty and is free to face Leopold this weekend.
It’s the second time a North Shore player has been carded for kicking and then found not guilty at the tribunal this season.
Young gun Jack Leonard was red carded against Bell Park in round 15 for the same charge, however was cleared of any wrongdoing at the tribunal.
Seagulls co-coach Nick Dixon believes footy’s card system is not “serving any purpose”.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a situation when I’ve been playing GFL that I’ve felt that the guy playing who may have done an action deemed worthy of a card … needs to be off the ground for this game to be safe to continue,” Dixon said.
“It’s a big enough penalty being reported for two, three, four weeks after the fact and missing games to really stop guys from doing thug-like actions on the field.
“I don’t think the card system is serving any purpose in terms of stopping guys doing things like king-hitting or kicking or things like that.
“I think the tribunal is a big enough deterrent to really stop guys doing it and I think the card system just adds more confusion and (makes it) a harder job for the umpires in game as well.”
Dixon said the decision to challenge Carr’s initial suspension was an easy one for the Seagulls.
“For us it was a pretty simple one to challenge, Hersch said he didn’t kick him and (the) opposition player pretty much said he didn’t kick him either, he said he didn’t really know what he felt across his chest,” Dixon said.
“It’s a big difference between the umpire giving him a yellow card for kicking him in the head and the opposition player saying something may have brushed my chest.
“We’re very happy with the result and that he can play this week and get his name cleared.”
Heartbreak for Ammo ahead of grand final
Eliza Williamson’s hopes of playing in Sunday’s Division 1 women’s grand final have been extinguished after the Geelong Amateur player’s last-ditch effort to overturn a two-week ban at the tribunal failed.
Williamson pleaded guilty to engaging in rough conduct on Tuesday night in a bid to erase her suspension but the tribunal upheld the ban.
She was cited for a clash with St Mary’s player Kelsey Houghton in Ammos’ qualifying final win.
Geelong Amateur is favourite to win the decider, having finished the home-and-away season as minor premier and defeated St Mary’s by 43 points in the qualifying final.
Meanwhile, Belmont Lion Jed Evans’ case for a dangerous tackle has been withdrawn, however teammate Brent Jacques (rough conduct) and North Shore’s Herschelle Carr (kicking) were set to face the tribunal on Wednesday night.
Star forward to challenge suspension
Retiring Belmont great Brent Jacques will fight a suspension that would prematurely end his football career after being hit with a two-week ban for engaging in rough conduct.
The 234-game Lion was set to retire after Belmont’s round 18 clash with Anakie on Saturday, but if the suspension is upheld it would mean he would have played his last game.
Jacques will face the AFL Barwon tribunal on Wednesday night, along with North Shore’s Herschelle Carr, who was offered a two-week suspension for kicking Supersaint Brent Vermeulen.
It is the second kicking charge against a North Shore player in the past three weeks, with Jack Leonard successfully fighting his suspension at the tribunal.
The tribunal will also hear Belmont’s Jed Evans’ case after the Lion chose to fight his suspension.
Evans was offered a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Geelong West’s Tom Richmond.
If unsuccessful, all three players will miss the remainder of their seasons, with North Shore out of the GFL finals race and Belmont set to finish ninth on the GDFL ladder.
Anakie’s Billy Goodwin will miss the last round of the GDFL season, as well as the first three weeks of the 2023 season after accepting a four-week ban for kicking Werribee Centrals’ Chad Buck.
North Shore’s Harry Purcell has accepted a one-match ban for charging St Albans’ Harrison Howarth, and Drysdale will be without Tevan Nofi for the first two weeks of finals after he accepted his suspension for rough conduct.
The tribunal will also sit on Tuesday night, with Geelong Amateur’s Eliza Williamson set to challenge a two-match suspension that will keep her out of Saturday’s grand final if upheld.
Williamson was reported for engaging in rough conduct with St Mary’s Kelsey Houghton in the Ammos’ qualifying final victory against the Saints.
Werribee Centrals reserve player Zac Anthony and Drysdale reserve player Jake Hargreaves will also front the tribunal on Tuesday to contest their respective charges.
Duo banned for kicking while retiring great to miss farewell game
ANAKIE is set to miss star Billy Goodwin for the rest of the 2022 and the start of the 2023 season after he was offered a four-match suspension for kicking an opponent.
Goodwin allegedly kicked Werribee Centrals’ Chad Buck in the third quarter of the clash at Anakie Reserve.
The MRP viewed vision of the incident and deemed the kick intentional.
The four-week ban offered to Goodwin, if accepted, will rule him out for Anakie’s clash with Belmont Lions in round 18, as well as the first three rounds of 2023.
North Shore’s Herschelle Carr was also banned for kicking an opponent, with the Seagull being offered two weeks for the incident with St Albans veteran Brent Vermeulen.
Retiring Belmont great Brent Jacques could be forced to call his farewell tour short after being offered a two-week suspension for allegedly engaging in rough conduct with Geelong West’s Sam Edwards.
Jacques was set to play the final game of a stellar career against Anakie in round 18, but will miss the final game of the season if he accepts the penalty for the third-quarter incident.
Drysdale’s Tevan Nofi may miss two weeks of finals football after being offered a ban for rough conduct against Modewarre’s Oliver Butler.
Three-time Mathieson Medalist Matthew McMahon has accepted a one-match ban for carelessly striking St Mary’s ruck Nick Nott, while Eagle teammate Liam Fiore also accepted one week for carelessly striking Harrison Kol.
Meanwhile, North Shore’s Harry Purcell was offered a one-week ban for charging Supersaint Harrison Howarth.
Belmont will challenge Jed Evans’ two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle on Giants’ Tom Richmond.
Queenscliff’s Angus Naylor was offered a reprimand for high contact with Torquay’s Lucas Anderson, while Anakie and Werribee Centrals have been fined $650, of which $150 has been suspended until the end of the 2023 season, for a third-quarter melee.
More Coverage
Originally published as GFL, GDFL and BFL MRP findings for rounds 17 and 18: Eliza Williamson to miss decider
BPCA stats and Round 13 preview
Five teams will be vying for the last remaining finals place in the BPCA’s top tier as we approach the final rounds of the regular season. Get the batting and bowling stats for all players.
Principal details ‘trusted’ Selwood’s true impact on Geelong Grammar
Troy Selwood nurtured some big names during his time at Geelong Grammar — including No.1 pick Sam Lalor. But they don’t tell the full story according to the school’s principal.