AFL Now: Latest team, injury news ahead of round 8

Paul Curtis had his three-game ban upheld by the tribunal on Tuesday night — and his Kangaroos teammates have taken to social media to voice their anger. Recap the day’s news here.

Senior North Melbourne players have hit out at Paul Curtis’ three-match suspension, with Luke Parker calling Thursday night’s clash against Essendon a “touch football game”.

North Melbourne will be without Curtis for the next three matches after failing to overturn his rough conduct charge.

Curtis had been slapped with a three-match ban for a chase down tackle that concussed Power defender Josh Sinn, with the tackle graded severe impact.

When the tribunal confirmed the suspension would be upheld, Parker and his captain Jy Simpkin took to Instagram to voice their dismay.

The three-game ban for Paul Curtis has stood. Picture: Getty Images

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Parker wrote: “Please attend our touch football game this Thursday night vs Essendon”, accompanying his message with a hashtag ‘#NoMoreTackling.

Simpkin said the club now had two poor tribunal outcomes this season, with Jackson Archer receiving a three-match ban for rough conduct.

“Arch and now PC... smh”, he wrote.

Luke Parker had his say. Picture: Instagram

Jy Simpkin also voiced his thoughts. Picture: Instagram

The Kangaroos fought two arguments at the tribunal, suggesting the tackle was not rough conduct because the tackle was not unreasonable in the circumstances.

Failing that argument, North Melbourne representative Justin Graham KC said the severe grading “just cannot stand” as the tackle was not forceful and the impact had been graded because of the concussion suffered by Sinn.

But the tribunal found Curtis did not do enough to reduce the force delivered in the tackle, and that Curtis did not make any attempt to release the arms or roll Sinn in the tackle.

The tribunal said Sinn was clearly distressed after the tackle, and the medical diagnosis of Sinn suffering a concussion was enough to keep the grading as severe.

North Melbourne compared Curtis’ tackle to Geelong skipper Patrick Dangerfield’s tackle on Sam Walsh in 2024, where Walsh was left concussed from a similar tackle.

Dangerfield was initially slapped with a one-match ban, but that was overturned at the tribunal.

Graham argued Curtis attempted to roll Sinn in the tackle, however the forward momentum drove Sinn’s head into the turf.

He said it was good football practice to pin an opponent’s arms in the tackle, and there was no secondary movement that is regarded as dangerous, such as a sling or driving motion.

The AFL’s position argued the tackle was good practice, with representative Sally Flynn saying it was not a reasonable tackle.

Flynn said the alternative for Curtis was to roll Sinn to the side in the tackle, or do what Dangerfield did with Walsh and try to pull him back.

She said Curtis attempted neither in a tackle that left Sinn in a vulnerable position after Curtis pinned his arms and dropped his weight to the ground.

Curtis will miss matches against Essendon, Brisbane and Richmond in the next three weeks.

Despite the poor start for the Kangaroos this season, Curtis has been a shining light in the forward line.

He has booted 18 goals across seven games, including multiple goals in every match and four games with three goals.

Originally published as AFL Now: Latest team, injury news ahead of round 8