AFL Now: Latest updates, injury lists, tribunal and team news on Monday ahead of round 8

While Paul Curtis faces the impossible task of overturning his three-game ban, a Saint has copped an even greater suspension. Plus the MRO’s verdict on a Blues gun and Jack Ginnivan here.

Carlton midfielder Adam Cerra has been handed a one-match ban for striking Geelong’s Jack Bowes during the Blues’ 18-point win at the MCG on Sunday.

Cerra’s right hand appeared to collect Bowes in the head as the pair tussled during a ball-up in the third quarter, with the Cats midfielder falling to the ground grabbing at his face following the incident.

Match review officer Michael Christian graded the incident as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.

Carlton can accept the one-match ban or choose to challenge at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday.

The Blues are already set to lose Jack Silvagni (broken hand) and Zac Williams (calf) to injury ahead of Saturday’s trip to Adelaide to face the Crows.

Adam Cerra has been offered a one-week suspension for this incident involving Jack Bowes.

Details: https://t.co/P786Tk3jqVpic.twitter.com/9qfN1icflg

— AFL (@AFL) April 28, 2025

A further four players from the Blues-Cats clash were handed fines.

George Hewett ($5000), Jeremy Cameron and Silvagni ($1500) were all ruled to have made careless contact with an umpire and offered fixed financial sanctions.

Carlton forward Lachie Fogarty was offered a $3000 fine for tripping Geelong’s Max Holmes during the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan has escaped suspension for his kick at West Coast’s Jack Graham during the first quarter of Sunday’s match at Marvel Stadium.

Vision which circulated on social media on Sunday showed Ginnivan lashing out at Graham while on the ground, appearing to first make contact with the Eagles midfielder’s groin region and then his leg.

The MRO graded the offence as intentional conduct, low impact and body contact.

The 22-year-old was instead slapped with a $6250 fine, which can be brought down to $3750 with an early plea.

It is the second cited kicking offence of Ginnivan’s career.

Eagles midfielder Liam Baker was also fined $1500 for misconduct.

SAINT COPS HUGE BAN AS CURTIS PREPARES FOR ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ TASK

Paul Curtis faces an impossibly high bar to overturn a three-match ban at the tribunal on Tuesday night given the judiciary’s own explanation of its shock Patrick Dangerfield verdict last year.

It comes as St Kilda’s young top 10 pick Alix Tauru has been hit with a four-week VFL suspension that will deny him the chance to make his AFL debut this weekend.

The AFL world has hit out at the suspension that will see Curtis sidelined after he pinned the arms of opponent Josh Sinn in a tackle that saw the Port Adelaide defender concussed.

Curtis will appeal the verdict and hope to be available for games against North Melbourne, Brisbane and Richmond as he continues a hot start to the season.

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Paul Curtis is highly unlikely to get off his three-game ban. Picture: Getty Images

On the same weekend, Nick Watson’s chase-down tackle on Harley Reid was largely identical but the Eagles star was able to soften the blow by driving his knee into the ground to escape head-high contact.

Sinn pitched forward at the waist and made heavy contact with the Adelaide Oval turf.

But while Curtis might feel hard done by, he pinned both of Sinn’s arms and put him in a vulnerable position.

Dangerfield was initially suspended for a week for a tackle last year that saw him pin both of Sam Walsh’s arms as the Carlton star’s head hit the ground.

But he was able to overturn the verdict after he successfully argued he swung his legs forward of Walsh and pulled back with what the tribunal labelled “considerable force” to try to minimise head-high contact.

In that case, the tribunal set a standard for what it deems rough conduct from dangerous tackles.

Tribunal head Jeff Gleeson said of rough conduct: “It will be a rare, even exceptional case where a player who tackles with significant forward motion, who pins both arms and who could have but does not release one or both arms will not have engaged in rough conduct. This is such a case.”

So while Dangerfield was able to escape suspension, it is hard to see how Curtis will have his three-match ban overturned given he has met that standard with a pinned-arm tackle with significant forward motion.

Patrick Dangerfield has received a one-game suspension for this incident involving Sam Walsh.

Full Match Review findings: https://t.co/X6zfcrtRRcpic.twitter.com/zVq9gchZgN

— AFL (@AFL) June 22, 2024

He did not try to roll Sinn even in the split second he had before his head hit the ground and he did not release one of his arms.

In 2023 Dan Butler was also able to overturn suspension because he made the decision to release opponent Nick Blakey’s arm just before his head hit the turf.

So Curtis will argue his case, aware of how challenging it will be to convince the tribunal of his innocence.

Under the AFL match review table of offences, Sinn’s concussion meant Curtis had to be suspended for three weeks once he committed a reportable act.

West Coast midfielder Liam Baker is also facing a misconduct fine after he tore off the headband of Hawthorn forward Mabior Chol in the first quarter on Sunday.

In 2022 Hawthorn star James Sicily was fined $1000 for misconduct after he tore off Aaron Naughton’s headband so there is a direct precedent for the AFL.

Young Saint Tauru could be out of all action until mid-June given Sandringham has a VFL bye this week and then the week he would return in round 11, meaning his next VFL game would be on the weekend of June 13-14.

Alix Tuaru VFL incident

He was taken at pick 10 in the national draft and had built imposing form in recent weeks after working his way back from a stress fracture.

The 194cm defender jumped off the ground to hit Brisbane player Curtis McCarthy, brother of Lions player Lincoln, with a high bump to the head.

It was a brutal hit from Tauru given he did not make a play on the ball.

The VFL tribunal judged the severe impact hit was worth four or more games, but under their system he can accept four games with an early discount.

It is shocking timing given the Saints would have been keen to hand him a debut as early as this weekend against Fremantle.

The player dubbed the Flying Viking had won 17 possessions in his third VFL game of the season as well as eight marks, two intercept marks, five tackles and five spoils.

Originally published as AFL Now: Latest updates, injury lists, tribunal and team news on Monday ahead of round 8