Nathan Fyfe likely to escape MRO sanction, Steven May referred to the tribunal
NATHAN Fyfe can expect to escape any sanction for his crunching bump on Seb Ross based on the AFL’s recent precedent. However, the news isn’t as good for Suns skipper Steven May.
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NATHAN Fyfe can expect to escape any sanction for his crunching bump on Seb Ross based on the AFL’s recent precedent.
But another such precedent has seen Gold Coast’s Steven May referred directly to the tribunal and likely to be sidelined for intentionally making contact with an umpire.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon urged the match review officer to on Monday spare Brownlow favourite Fyfe for his forceful bump on St Kilda’s Ross.
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Ross was left shaken but played on after Fyfe chose to bump him rather than tackle the Saints midfielder as he Ross ran towards him with the ball.
Footage shows Ross and Fyfe clashing heads, with the AFL recently ruling Ryan Burton not guilty of a reportable incident for a similar hit on Shaun Higgins.
“Are you trying to execute him? Don’t we want our great players in the game?” Lyon said of the incident.
“I think I saw it like you. It was on the far side, I think he just went in and tackled.
“Gee whiz, I’d be shocked, but I’ll leave that to the (MRO). Carlisle was an accidental clip to the head, I saw (Jack) Darling knock out (Phil) Davis — accidents happen on the footy field.”
Due to Gold Coast’s trip to Shanghai to play Port Adelaide this week, the match review process was expedited with May to face the tribunal on Monday.
The same fate will likely await Ed Curnow when Carlton’s win over Essendon is assessed.
The Suns co-captain touched umpire David Harris as he attempted to demonstrate his actions in a previous piece of play on Saturday night.
He was pleading his case with the umpire after giving away a free kick which led to a goal.
Curnow appeared to touch umpire Nathan Williamson in Saturday’s rousing win, only a week after Geelong’s Tom Hawkins was suspended for umpire contact.
On the behind-the-goals footage shown on Fox Footy, Curnow appeared to reach out and touch the umpire on the chest with apparent force, which could pave the way for a multi-week suspension.
Steven May made contact with umpire David Harris in the second quarter. #AFLSunsDees pic.twitter.com/36BHIsaUnc
— AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) May 12, 2018
“He will see how that unfolds. You can appreciate it would be premature for me to (discuss it),” Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said yesterday on 3AW.
“We have got to continue to respect and understand the role umpires play. Ed is of strong character so we will just see how that unfolds.”
West Coast’s Elliott Yeo will also face scrutiny after dumping GWS star Dylan Shiel into the turf in an incident that left him bruised and sore.
Only a week after Nic Naitanui’s one-week suspension for a tackle on Karl Amon, Yeo drove Shiel into the turf and did not attempt to turn him in the tackle.
Sydney’s Luke Parker escaped suspension for a hit on Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey on Friday night after he was judged to have had no other realistic alternative in contesting the ball.
Former tribunal member Daniel Harford said Impey’s approach on the ball should be a lesson in what not to do.
“I have great fears one day someone like Jarman will be in a wheelchair on the back of that,” he said.
“It is becoming a bit of an epidemic.
“If you were teaching kids to play football you would say to them, “Don’t you ever do this’ — leading with your head, arms outstretched and opening yourself up to any upcoming traffic.
“There has to be a lesson in this for everyone, when you are attacking a contested ball you make sure you protect yourself so you aren’t going to get hurt.
“The way Jarman Impey attacked the ball was so bad.”
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