AFL 2022: Sydney Swans ruckman Peter Ladhams set to cop three-match ban for reckless hit on Taj Woewodin

Ruck recruit Peter Ladhams was set to be a wildcard for the Swans in September but a moment of madness has cost him.

Sydney ruckman Peter Ladhams faces another stint on the sidelines because of suspension. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Peter Ladhams has cost himself the chance to be part of Sydney’s premiership assault this year with another on-field brain fade.

The former Port Adelaide ruckman arrived at the Swans in last year’s trade period and is considered the club’s future No.1 ruckman but a second act of ill-discipline has effectively ended his season.

Ladhams already spent a week on the sidelines after an unnecessary gut punch to ex-teammate Ollie Wines in round 14 and now faces three more matches out after a brutal hit on first-year Demon Taj Woewodin in the VFL.

Woewodin, the son of 2000 Brownlow medallist Shane Woewodin, unsuccessfully tried to keep the ball in play, only for Ladhams to recklessly charge at him and knock him down almost a second later.

The 19-year-old was momentarily stunned on the ground and was later confirmed as suffering a concussion, as teammates remonstrated with Ladhams.

The incident was graded as high impact and high contact and resulted in a four-match suspension, which can be reduced to three games if Ladhams accepts an early guilty plea.

Ollie Wines was unimpressed with Peter Ladhams after he delivered an unnecessary gut punch to him in their round 12 clash. Picture: Getty Images

The ban leaves Sydney short on ruck options if anything happens to Tom Hickey or Sam Reid, with Callum Sinclair and project big man Lachie McAndrew, neither of whom has played this year, the only other options.

Sam Naismith is still recovering from a third knee reconstruction.

The Swans announced on Monday that Sinclair, who played 118 games for Sydney and West Coast, and Irishman Colin O’Riordan were retiring at season’s end.

They face arguably the AFL’s best one-two ruck punch, Melbourne’s Max Gawn and Luke Jackson, in Friday night’s qualifying final and any potential thoughts of unleashing Hickey and Ladhams together are dashed.

Coach John Longmire addressed the Wines incident with Ladhams in the days after the match and is less likely to be as generous with his reaction this time around.

Peter Ladhams has been suspended for the second time this year. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“He’s a 24-year-old who’s played 40 games, so he’ll learn from that,” Longmire said of Ladhams after the Wines incident.

“He’s still learning about his footy and he’s still developing as a player and he’s been good for us. He didn’t get that part of the game right, but we all learn from things like this.

“I’ve no doubt Peter will come through that and learn from it and be a better player because of it.

“I think just the moment of playing against the old team (got to him) and it probably built up a little bit.”

Ladhams signed a four-year deal with Sydney and has played 11 senior games this season, mostly when Hickey was unavailable.

He suffered a broken thumb on his right hand in round 17 but was four VFL games into his return and in good form.