Luke Beveridge expects Tom Jonas to avoid sanction for hit on Luke Dahlhaus

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has admitted to MRP confusion but expects Port’s Tom Jonas to escape sanction for his off-the-ball incident with Luke Dahlhaus.

Luke Dahlhaus was not injured in an off-the-ball altercation with Port’s Tom Jonas. Picture: AAP

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has admitted to confusion over the “outcome-based” difference in match review assessments for punches and bumps, but he expects Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas to escape sanction for his off-the-ball incident with Luke Dahlhaus.

Jonas will come under close scrutiny for the incident, but Beveridge says he thinks the Power player will be fine because Dahlhaus wasn’t injured in the clash.

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Luke Dahlhaus was not injured in an off-the-ball altercation with Port’s Tom Jonas. Picture: AAP

“It’s a challenging one for everyone because I think everyone had come to realise it was an outcome-based penalty or sanctioning approach, regardless of the criteria, if the player was injured or concussed from a headhigh hit, then the perpetrator was likely to be in trouble,” Beveridge said.

“A player gets up and they’re fine, then the perpetrator’s probably okay. I’d imagine that because Dahl was fine, regardless of the action, that Tom’s probably fine.”

But he could understand the confusion, given that the outcome of punches doesn’t seem to matter.

That was evidenced by the ban Bulldog forward Jack Redpath incurred with an open handed swipe at GWS defender Phil Davis last week. The Bulldogs challenged Redpath’s two-week ban, and lost, meaning he copped an extra week.

Jack Redpath failed in his bid to have his suspension overturned. Picture: Getty Images

Part of the confusion came when the AFL made a statement on punishing jumper-punches during the course of the season, following Tiger skipper Trent Cotchin’s hit on Fremantle’s Lachie Neale.

“That changed when it comes to the fists,” Beveridge said. “It doesn’t matter whether the player’s OK or not. It’s just the action, so they’re two different assessments.

“One with jumper punch and one with other collisions, whether it be hips, elbows, shoulders (or) if they hit their head … so that’s the confusing part for everyone.

He has become “quite unemotional” about the MRP findings because he had more things to worry about, and would not be drawn on a possible review at season’s end.