AFL 2024: All the MRO and tribunal news from round 9

West Coast forward Jack Darling is free to play after collision with Collingwood’s Jack Bytel put the Pie into concussion protocols on Sunday, leaving AFL fans confused once again.

LAUNCESTON, AUSTRALIA – MAY 11: Jack Scrimshaw of the Hawks in action during the 2024 AFL Round 09 match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the St Kilda Saints at UTAS Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Launceston, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

THE AFL has ruled there is still room in football for accidents that cause concussions after Jack Darling was not cited for the collision that saw Jack Bytel sustain a head knock on Sunday.

Darling’s collision with Bytel put the Pies player into concussion protocols after he rammed into the Eagles premiership player while dishing off a handball.

There was no middle ground for Darling, who would have faced a three-week ban if found guilty of rough conduct given ex-Saint Bytel’s concussion.

Darling came into the contest at speed and bumped Bytel with his hip and forearm in a forceful manner.

Darling only appeared to brace for contact as Bytel fell towards him rather than speed up in a deliberate attempt to bump the Collingwood midfielder.

But the league ruled that Bytel was pushed forward and down by Cole into Darling’s path as he approached from the opposite direction.

Jack Darling is free to play after his hit with Collingwood’s Jack Bytel put the Pie into concussion protocols. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

The league said in its official explanation that Darling had slowed his momentum and didn’t elect to bump even as he made high contact with Bytel.

The league said the “contact was predominantly caused by circumstances outside the control of Darling”.

Darling’s decision not to turn side on and bump, instead staying front on as he approached Bytel, would have been one of the deciding factors in the ruling that it was not a forceful bump.

Gold Coast’s David Swallow was not cited for an incident that saw Western Bulldogs defender Ed Richards concussed earlier in the year as the pair both attempted to contest the ball.

It shows that there is still room in football for accidents that cause concussion despite the league’s move towards more responsibility for players who decide to bump or dump tackle.

Adelaide’s Mark Keane was handed a fine for striking Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann and as a second recent offence he can accept a $3750 fine.

And Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury was handed his third fine since last year, this time for tripping West Coast’s Harley Reid.

Pendlebury was a footy cleanskin but after 352 games was fined last year for rough conduct against Port Adelaide.

He was also fined $2500 this year for his low conduct body strike to Brisbane’s Lachie Neale.

DARLING’S HIT ON PIE FOOTY’S NEXT BIG TEST CASE

Football faces another test case with its bump rule after Collingwood’s Jack Bytel was concussed by West Coast’s Jack Darling at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

Darling is not certain to be suspended, but the table of offences means he either faces a three-week ban, given Bytel’s concussion, or will be allowed to play next week.

Bytel was making a bright start to his first game for the Pies when he gathered a loose ball at half forward and dished off the handball as Darling approached.

Darling came into the contest at speed and made contact with Bytel with his hip and forearm in a forceful manner.

Darling only appeared to brace for contact as Bytel fell towards him rather than speed up in a deliberate attempt to bump the Collingwood midfielder.

West Coast might believe Bytel contributed to the contact by falling into Darling, who was already committed to the contest.

Jack Darling checks on Jack Bytel after the bump yesterday. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

But the match review officer will have to decide whether Darling showed enough duty of care or is responsible for Bytel’s concussion on a day when Collingwood’s injury list worsened with Jeremy Howe’s groin sprain.

The AFL had shown remarkable consistency with 17 successive suspensions for dangerous tackles and dumping tackles early last year before several players were let off by the tribunal.

But Darling’s collision was different because he could have been much more forceful in his approach on Bytel and yet still caused the head injury.

Match review officer Michael Christian will have to assess whether a slight push by Bytel’s opponent Tom Cole accentuated the collision.

And whether the incident was a football accident, even though Darling was not contesting the ball.

If he was found guilty of rough conduct, the incident would be graded careless and high impact, and result in a three-week suspension.

Darling has been in a form slump this season and had only seven possessions against Collingwood but with Oscar Allen out for another month at least with a knee injury, he has helped the club’s structure.

West Coast takes on Melbourne, Adelaide and St Kilda in the next three weeks.

Hawks down another defender after ban

– Jay Clark

Hawthorn has lost defender Jack Scrimshaw for Sunday’s trip to face Port Adelaide after laying a dangerous tackle on St Kilda’s Liam Stocker.

Scrimshaw dumped Stocker into the turf late in the Hawks’ narrow win over the Saints in Tasmania.

Stocker appeared dazed for a short period after the tackle but played on.

The AFL took a tough stance on similar tackles last year where the players being tackled are shoved or thrust into the turf head first.

Scrimshaw has played a key role for the Hawks all year. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

It meant the incident was graded careless conduct, high contact and medium

Impact, triggering a one-match suspension.

Scrimshaw is one of the club’s best defenders and plays a key rebounding role for Sam Mitchell.

The Hawks are already light on for key defenders but have improved sharply over the past month, winning three of their past four games since they were smashed by Gold Coast by 53 points in Round 5.

KEY BLUE LEARNS FATE OVER LATE HIT

– Jon Ralph

Carlton’s Nic Newman has dodged suspension after being cited for rough conduct for a late hit on Melbourne’s Alex Neal-Bullen during Thursday night’s one-point victory.

Newman jumped off the ground in an attempt to bump Neal-Bullen and while the act was especially dangerous, he made only glancing contact at best.

The match review panel is desperate to eradicate those kinds of acts from the game, but found Newman’s actions to be careless conduct, low impact and high.

He has been fined $3750, which is downgraded to $2500 with a guilty plea.

Nic Newman is likely to escape suspension. Picture: Getty Images

Fellow defender Lachlan Cowan was also fined for striking Neal-Bullen and fined $3125.

Meanwhile, Brodie Kemp’s free kick for a dangerous tackle from Melbourne’s Jacob Van Rooyen was a polarising incident in the game as Seven commentator Brian Taylor said: “That’s a classic case of a player deliberately putting his head into the ground”.

Had the umpire called play on Kysaiah Pickett would have been allowed to set up a goal.

Kemp threw his head forward when he was initially tackled but not when he was rotated into the ground so will have no case to answer from the AFL.

🗣 "That's a classic case of a player deliberately putting his head into the ground."#AFLBluesDeespic.twitter.com/7vp9aQh1kX

— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 9, 2024

It is understood the AFL is on watch for players who throw their heads back in tackles to ensure their head hits the ground and they receive a free kick.

Adelaide’s Matt Crouch and St Kilda’s Darcy Wilson were both players in recent weeks who could have been fined for staging.

But the AFL has chosen not to fine a player for excessive exaggeration so far this season,