Match review: Ryan Burton cleared after knockout bump, Linday Thomas and James Sicily sent to tribunal
THE AFL has delivered its biggest ruling on the bump in years after Ryan Burton’s knockout bump was given the green light, while Lindsay Thomas and James Sicily were referred to the tribunal in an extraordinary day of findings.
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THE AFL gave the green light to Ryan Burton’s knockout bump on Roo Shaun Higgins because the primary contact was delivered to his body.
The league on Monday delivered its biggest ruling on the bump in years, saying players are allowed to bump when the contact is shoulder to chest. Subsequent injury is irrelevant, according to the league’s rule.
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But the decision came under fierce attack from player manager Peter Jess, who said the ruling gave “a licence to continue the carnage”.
“If you allow this behaviour it sends all the wrong messages,” Jess said.
Higgins suffered a heavy concussion in the incident and was stretchered off the ground and taken to hospital before he was released on Monday.
He had plastic surgery to repair a lip injury.
Higgins was blindsided and running at speed when he crashed into Burton on Sunday.
The AFL has tried to protect players’ heads in recent years due to increased concussion fears but this incident has divided the football world and sparked concerns about double standards.
Match review officer Michael Christian said Burton could not have reasonably foreseen the head clash and was adamant bumps were permitted in the game if they were delivered fairly to the body.
“The bump is an integral part of the game and I don’t think any of us want to see the bump taken out,” Christian said.
“So where a player exercises a bump and takes all reasonable care to execute a bump within the rules of the game … and you can’t reasonably foresee a clash of heads, than this will most likely be the result.
“I don’t think Burton set out to clash heads with Shaun Higgins, he set out to bump him which he is allowed to do. He executed the bump perfectly.”
At one stage the AFL had a strict liability provision whereby any contact to the head in a bump led to a sanction.
But the AFL on Monday clarified it changed the rules to permit “fair” bumps regardless of accidental head contact in the wake of a Nat Fyfe incident with Michael Rischitelli in 2014.
In an extraordinary day of match review findings:
PORT Adelaide livewire Lindsay Thomas was sent directly to the tribunal for his high bump which knocked out Scott Selwood. The impact was graded severe due to the potential to cause serious injury.
GEELONG captain Joel Selwood was suspended for one match for striking Thomas “in the side of his head” in the charged aftermath of the blow to his brother Scott.
Selwood will miss Saturday’s blockbuster against Sydney unless he challenges and wins.
HAWTHORN defender James Sicily will front the tribunal on a serious conduct charge for stomping on Shaun Atley’s leg, as the Kangaroo lay face down on the ground.
BROWNLOW Medal fancy Tom Mitchell was fined $1500 for elbowing Todd Goldstein off the ball.
Christian denied Burton was moving at high speed in the Higgins collision.
“He (Burton) moved, but it was a very gentle speed,” Christian said.
“The impact, I suspect, happened because Shaun Higgins was moving at speed.”
Christian didn’t like the vision of Sicily stepping on Atley, continuing a string of undisciplined acts for the Hawthorn hot-head.
“Atley was laying face down on the ground when James walked over the lower part of his leg and stood on him, put his full weight on him and continued to walk,” Christian said.
“I can’t see that it wasn’t intentional. From our perspective it is something which is absolutely unacceptable.”
Christian said the Mitchell contact to Goldstein was at the low end, albeit behind play.
But Thomas could face more than a fortnight on the sidelines for his bump on Scott Selwood.
“With the potential to cause a more serious injury we decided to upgrade it to severe based around three key factors,” Christian said.
“The first was the speed at which Thomas was travelling, the second was the position from where he came to bump Selwood and that was from a front-on position, and (there was) also the vulnerability of Selwood.”
Jess said the decision to exonerate Burton over the bump that put Higgins in hospital was a huge step backwards for the AFL’s protection of the head.
“One of the things we had learnt from the AFL recently was they had tightened the rules to ensure the safety of players,” Jess said.
“We have known for 40 years one concussion can cause long-term neurological damage.
“By this decision we are giving a license to continue the carnage.
“Of the players we have tested 87.5 per cent have measurable neurological damage.
“If you allow this behaviour it sends all the wrong messages.”
AFL legends John Platten, John Barnes and Shaun Smith have all flagged their intention to take the league to court over claimed neurological impairment.
Here’s the full fallout:
LINDSAY THOMAS
ROUGH CONDUCT (Scott Selwood): Referred directly to the tribunal
STRIKING (Joel Selwood): Offered one-week ban
MISCONDUCT (Jack Henry): Cleared. Contact deemed to the chest
Playing his first game for Port Adelaide, the former North Melbourne forward cannoned into Scott Selwood with a brutal front-on bump right in front of the interchange bench.
The Cats midfielder sat out the rest of the match with concussion.
It sparked an all-in brawl with Joel Selwood taking special exception. Thomas was offered a one-match ban for striking the Cats skipper during the scuffle.
The Power forward also collected young defender Jack Henry but escaped sanction with Christian deeming contact was to the chest and a fair hit.
JOEL SELWOOD
STRIKING (Lindsay Thomas): Offered one-week ban
ATTEMPTED TRIP (Chad Wingard): Offered a $1000 fine
After seeing his brother Scott Selwood knocked unconscious, the Geelong captain remonstrated with Lindsay Thomas.
During the scuffle, Selwood pushed him in the head/neck area, in a similar act to Lachie Hunter’s one-match ban from Round 4.
Selwood was also offered a $1000 sanction for attempting to trip Port Adelaide midfielder Chad Wingard during the fiery clash at Adelaide Oval.
PATRICK DANGERFIELD
ROUGH CONDUCT (Justin Westhoff): Offered a $2000 fine.
TOM MITCHELL
MISCONDUCT (Todd Goldstein): Offered a $1500 fine
The second-favourite for the Brownlow was picked up by TV cameras clipping North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein with an elbow to the head off the ball.
The umpires paid a down-the-field free kick which gifted Shaun Atley an easy goal in the second term at Etihad Stadium. Goldstein played down the contact after the match, describing it is like being hit “by a fly”.
Christian offered Mitchell a fine meaning he is still eligible for the game’s highest individual honour.
JAMES COUSINS
UMPIRE CONTACT: Offered a $1000 fine
JAMES SICILY
SERIOUS MISCONDUCT (Shaun Atley): Referred directly to the tribunal
The fiery Hawk is alleged to have stomped on Shaun Atley during the clash at Etihad Stadium.
Sicily is facing a second suspension in three weeks if he is found guilty.
While there is no opportunity to enter an early guilty plea, he can argue his case to the tribunal.
It is believed Sicily stomped on Atley as he jogged past the Kangaroos defender laying on the ground.
RYAN BURTON
ROUGH CONDUCT (Shaun Higgins): Cleared. Accidental clash of heads
Toughest decision of the week. Burton chose to bump and cannoned into a blindsided Shaun Higgins, knocking out the North Melbourne star on the spot.
Burton’s feet were on the ground and his shoulder collected Higgins in the body, but he could be held responsible for the vicious clash of heads after passing on the option of tackling.
The game was held up for several minutes while Higgins was taken off on a motorised stretcher and he spent the night in hospital. The Kangaroos said he is recovering well and had been cleared of broken bones and neck damage, but requires plastic surgery on his lip.
MAJAK DAW
MISCONDUCT (Daniel Howe): Offered a $1500 fine
CAMERON ZURHAAR
ROUGH CONDUCT (David Mirra): Offered a $1500 fine
Zurhaar was reported for shoving Hawthorn defender David Mirra into the Etihad Stadium fence. As the pair chased the ball to the boundary line, Zurhaar bumped Mirra and his momentum saw him cannon in the advertising boards. While he appeared to be hurt at first, the Hawks defender was quickly back on his feet and played out the game.
TOUK MILLER
MISCONDUCT (Dayne Zorko): Offered a $1500 fine
The Suns midfielder tagged Zorko for much of the QClash.
Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why Zorko was so angry after the match and refused to shake Miller’s hand after the siren.
JESSE LONERGAN
STRIKING (Alex Witherden): Offered a $2000 fine
DAWSON SIMPSON
ROUGH CONDUCT (Jack Newnes): Cleared. No alternative option to contest the ball
Newnes was concussed in the incident but Christian deemed the Giants ruckman had no realistic alternative way to contest the ball.
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