Aidan Johnson facing two-week ban while Charlie McCartin escapes ban for headbutt

A Geelong VFL player and AFL draft aspirant has avoided a ban after appearing to headbutt then strike his opponent at the weekend. Plus, a Demon learnes his MRO fate.

Melbourne forward Aidan Johnson has been handed a two-week rough conduct on Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera that will see him missing his first King’s Birthday clash.

Melbourne’s first-year forward Johnson jumped off the ground to collect Wanganeen-Milera high in the Alice Springs clash.

The brilliant St Kilda rebounder was taken off the ground for a SCAT6 but eventually passed his concussion test and was able to return to the field.

A diagnosed concussion would have seen Johnson hit with a severe-impact assessment and a three-week ban.

Aidan Johnson is set to be suspended. Picture: Getty Images

But the MRO still had the option to hand him a high-impact categorisation given the look of the act and the capacity to cause serious injury.

It took that opportunity to assess the hit as high impact, so he will miss against the Demons and then Port Adelaide the following week at Adelaide Oval.

Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was handed a $5000 fine ($3125 guilty plea) for striking opponent tagger Marcus Windhager.

Geelong VFL player and AFL draft aspirant Charlie McCartin was spared with only a wrestling reprimand after appearing to headbutt then strike Williamstown opponent Luke Parks on Sunday.

Geelong VFL defender McCartin has moved to the Cats to push his draft aspirations and was unlucky to be overlooked in last week’s mid-season draft.

He is still keen to find an AFL home but in a testy push and shove with Williamstown opponent Luke Parks he went over the line.

McCartin appeared to try to headbutt Parks and then threw a punch at the key forward before tossing him to the ground.

Charlie McCartin headbutts opponent

The VFL tribunal uses a community-based system different to the AFL which gives players a chance to access discounts for guilty pleas.

But given both blows seemed to land, McCartin would be thrilled to dodge any VFL suspension.

McCartin is the brother of former No.1 overall pick Paddy and Sydney’s defensive star Tom, and played some VFL games for the Swans last year.

He was scouted while playing local football for Colac with clubs continuing to track the 194cm key defender.