AFL round 19: All the latest MRO news from across the competition
Zak Butters is looking to challenge his unwanted record as the most-fined player in the competition’s history, taking his case to the tribunal.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Port Adelaide star Zak Butters will challenge the sanctions which made him the most fined player in AFL history.
Butters became the most fined player after he was hit with a pair of fines from the Power’s win over Richmond on Saturday night, overtaking GWS’ Toby Greene.
He can accept a $5000 fine for a rough conduct charge on the Tigers’ James Trezise and another $1875 for a second charge of making careless conduct with an umpire.
Accepting those two fines with early pleas would take Butters’ fine total to $36,250.
He has also been suspended for two games across his career.
Butters will challenge the fines at the Tribunal through a written submission on Tuesday night.
The outcome will be known on Wednesday.
“It is pretty crazy the amount of fines he is copping,” fellow leadership group member Willem Drew said.
“Some of them are his own sort of fault, but there are a few there that are questionable there as well.
“He is going to challenge the ones from the weekend so it will be interesting to see how he goes.”
NO BAN FOR HIPWOOD DESPITE TUNNELLING
Eric Hipwood has escaped suspension from the AFL after a “careless” tunnelling incident against Sydney’s Nick Blakey on Sunday.
Hipwood deliberately cannonned into Blakey’s waist as the Swans defender went up for a mark, taking his momentum out from under him.Blakey was able to slow his fall landing on Hipwood and bracing with his arm but still landed on his head, although no free kick was paid against the Lions forward.
Hipwood can accept a $1875 fine for rough conduct with an early plea.
"How is that not a free kick?"
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 21, 2024
📺 Watch #AFLLionsSwans LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/Tn9IS91SoG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/Cf7UrJVNdC
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/d17FqNvOk9pic.twitter.com/DAIwch75kP
Lions coach Chris Fagan spoke on AFL360 on Monday night and wasn’t sure what to make of the incident.
“I wasn’t sure when I looked at it last night, I’m never sure,” Fagan said.
“It was a bit careless no doubt but I don’t know what the deliberations would have been (from the match review panel).
“The good thing was Blakey was able to get up and continue playing and it might have been a different outcome if he didn’t.”
MAYNARD ESCAPES SUSPENSION FROM TRIBUNAL
Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard is free to play Richmond after escaping suspension for his high forearm on former teammate Jack Ginnivan.
Maynard was fined $2500 for the high shove on Ginnivan after it was graded careless conduct, high contact and low impact by match review officer Michael Christian on Sunday.
The incident was graded low impact as Ginnivan was uninjured and played on, gathering 31 possessions in the best game of his career in the thumping win over Collingwood.
The Maynard verdict is a huge relief for the Magpies who face the prospect of needing to win all five remaining games on the run home to play finals on the back of last year’s premiership.
Hawthorn forward Nick Watson was also fined $2500 for rough conduct on Maynard.
And West Coast’s Liam Ryan was also spared for his high bump on St Kilda’s Liam Stocker at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
While Ryan contacted Stocker high, extra camera angles of the incident showed Ryan was trying to avoid Stocker and deviate off his line when contact was made.
“Ryan veers away from Stocker to avoid him but Stocker stumbles and accelerates forward and downward into Ryan’s path,” Christian said.
“Ryan braces for contact and a collision ensues.
“It was the view of the MRO that Ryan did not elect to bump and his actions were not unreasonable in the circumstances.”
It means Ryan is free to play Fremantle in the Western Derby on Saturday night in Perth. Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters has also been fined another $6875 for another two incidents on Saturday night, taking his total fines across his career to more than $36,000.
Butters was fined $5000 for rough conduct on Richmond’s James Tresize and $1875 for making careless conduct with an umpire for the second time.
It means Butters is now the most fined player in the history of the AFL / VFL.
CROWS HERO CLEARED OVER DANGEROUS TACKLE
The AFL has cleared Ben Keays over the latest dangerous tackle incident, believing the Adelaide utility released the arms of Essendon midfielder Jye Caldwell.
It comes as Bombers young gun Nate Caddy was found to have no case to answer for the clash that left Jordan Dawson concussed in Friday night’s game, while his teammate Matt Guelfi was also cleared for his incident with Sam Berry.
Some had tried to compare the Keays incident with the Toby Bedford tackle on Tim Taranto last week, which resulted in a three-week ban from the MRO before it was quashed by the AFL Appeals Board due to an error of law at the tribunal.
But the difference between the two incidents centred on the fact that Keays did not pin Caldwell’s left arm and let go of the Bomber’s right arm at the last moment before the pair hit the ground.
The release of the two arms meant Caldwell was able to jam his right elbow underneath him and reach out with his left arm to help protect himself and soften the impact.
That saved Keays – who kicked five goals to help sink the Bombers – from what could have been a potentially lengthy ban and means he is free to take on Hawthorn next Sunday.
The difference with Bedford was that Taranto was in a more vulnerable position and could not plant his hands in front of himself in the fall.
Caldwell passed a concussion test in the last term and may have winced due to his right arm jamming into his ribs in the tackle.
The AFL statement said: “It is the view of the MRO that Keays exercised his duty of care in executing the tackle. Accordingly, in the view of the MRO, Keay’s actions were not unreasonable in the circumstances. No further action was taken.”
Caddy is also free to play St Kilda on Saturday despite colliding heavily with Adelaide star midfielder Jordan Dawson in a bump on Friday night.
Caddy kicked the ball off the ground as he made contact with his hip to Dawson’s head, but he was saved by Stringer’s involvement.
Vision clearly showed Stringer push Dawson from behind which propelled him into Caddy in the incident.
The shove cleared Caddy, freeing the gun youngster to take on the Saints in a crucial clash next weekend as Essendon fights for a top-eight spot.
The AFL said it was “reasonable for Caddy to contest the ball in the way that he did and in the circumstances which included Dawson being pushed forward and downwards into his path.”
Guelfi had no case to answer because he “did not sling, drive or rotate Berry to ground with excessive force.”
Join the conversation
History made as two Crows share Malcolm Blight Medal
Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson joined an exclusive club as a back-to-back winner of the Malcolm Blight Medal as the count finished in a historic tie for the first time.
Read more
‘It’s our journey’: Twins pledge to carve own navy blue legacy
They are the sons of Blues royalty. Now, Ben and Lucas Camporeale are ready to carry on their dad’s legacy in navy blue — and can’t wait to get started.
Read more