Liam Baker ban upheld at AFL tribunal

The Tigers are already missing a host of stars for their Gather Round trip, now they’ll be missing one of their most reliable against the Saints in Norwood.

Richmond star Liam Baker will be sidelined for Gather Round after having his one-game rough conduct suspension upheld at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night.

While the AFL deemed Baker’s collision with Sydney’s Lewis Melican at the MCG last Sunday to be a high bump, the Tigers argued that the utility’s sole objective was to spoil.

The tribunal agreed that Baker attempted to spoil but deemed it was careless and unreasonable.

“It was unrealistic because it was very late,” tribunal chair Renee Enbom KC said.

“Melican had his hands on the ball well before Baker used his right arm to try to spoil.

“His unrealistic attempt to spoil the ball resulted in forceful high contact.

“We consider that there was real potential to cause Melican injury.

“Baker was moving at speed, he propelled himself into the air … and it’s clear Melican was affected by the contact.”

Liam Baker will miss Gather Round. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Richmond’s counsel, Sam Tovey, said the footage showed that Baker’s attention was on the ball for the vast majority, if not all, of the passage of play.

Baker, who ran back with the flight of the footy, said he did not make contact with it with his right arm because Melican spilled the mark.

“I think my right hand would’ve spoiled the ball before the umpire paid the mark, if he had been clean,” Baker said.

Tovey said “if this was an attempt to spoil, it was an extraordinarily poor or ineffective one”.

He claimed that the majority of force was to Melican’s body and that although there was some incidental high contact, it was not enough for there to be potential to cause injury to the head.

“His sole objective from start to finish was to spoil the mark,” Tovey said.

But the AFL disagreed, saying Baker’s action was a high bump, unreasonable in the circumstances and could have led to a more serious injury.

Baker will miss Richmond’s clash against St Kilda at Norwood in Adelaide on Sunday.

BIG MEN DOWN: LYNCH, BALTA BOTH SET FOR STINTS ON THE SIDELINE

Richmond’s stirring victory over Sydney has turned into an injury nightmare with Tom Lynch requiring hamstring tendon surgery and Noah Balta out for a month with a medial ligament sprain.

The Tigers had hoped Lynch might escape the worst but instead after hobbling off late in the MCG contest he will likely miss at least two months with the latest injury.

Lynch was pushed at the worst possible time as he led for the ball and while his hamstring muscle held up the tendon failed him.

Richmond is adamant he was not rushed back early after missing most of the pre-season with foot injuries and was just desperately unlucky given the freakish nature of the incident.

Balta injured his knee in the final moments of the Sydney victory and will miss the next two games before the club’s bye.

Tom Lynch. Picture: Michael Klein

Richmond believes he will miss 3-5 weeks but the club has few other key position options given emerging defender Josh Gibcus has already been ruled out with an ACL tear.

Ruckman Sam Naismith and ex-Hawthorn forward Jacob Koschitzke will be in the selection frame against St Kilda next week for a club light on for options.

Yze said he was optimistic Jack Graham (quad) and Dustin Martin (calf) would be ready for that St Kilda clash after strong running sessions on Sunday.

The club is also hopeful Dylan Grimes (wrist) might return against the Saints but will have to assess his progress through the week.