St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster banned for seven weeks over sickening bump

St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster been handed a monster ban at the AFL Tribunal after his sickening bump on Jy Simpkin rocked the sport.

Jimmy Webster knocked out Jy Simpkin.

St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster has been handed a seven-week ban over his ugly bump left North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin knocked out in the pre-season match on Sunday.

Webster was referred directly to the tribunal after the sickening hit rocked the AFL, just days after Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper was handed a four-match ban just last week.

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But the AFL Tribunal ruled that the contact was much more serious than the Powell-Pepper hit, warranting a much more severe penalty.

“This was considerably worse than Sam Powell-Pepper’s action,” tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said.

“This was a classic case of avoidable head high contact.”

The hefty ban is the longest since Andrew Gaff’s eight-week suspension in 2018 for striking Andrew Brayshaw.

St Kilda confirmed it wouldn’t appeal the decision.

“Jimmy’s actions were clearly inappropriate and are not reflective of the way we want to play, nor the modern game as a whole,” Saints footy boss David Misson said after the hearing.

“We continue to send Jy our best wishes as he undertakes his recovery, but our focus now is supporting Jimmy through this period.”

Webster again apologised to Simpkin after the hearing as well.

“I went into the hearing completely open to accepting whatever consequence the Tribunal delivered,” Webster said.

“I wish to reiterate my remorse and again apologise to Jy for my actions.

“I will take this time on the sidelines to reflect on my actions and work hard to keep it out of my game.”

AFL 360’s Gerard Whateley said the huge ban was in line with the way the AFL had been moving.

“It’s a new age … this is an escalation that marries up with all the that we know around the way the AFL wants to combat head knocks and also marries up with the community desire for these big numbers. That’s a huge deterrent,” Whateley said.

It was not a good look. Picture: Channel 9

As the tribunal began, Webster was given a chance to address the hearing, admitting his reaction to rewatching the footage was that “I feel pretty sick about it.”

“I’m really sorry about what happened on Sunday. It’s something I’m not proud of – I’ve left a lot of people down,” he added in his opening address.

“My main concern is for Jy to get back to playing footy and I really hope he’s OK. I understand how bad concussions are and how much we want to see them stamped out of the game.”

But the Saints star has hit out at online trolls after as he addressed the panel.

“I’m happy to cop the backlash, but I’ve got a 16-month old and a wife at home. For them to cop it on social media, it’s obviously pretty s**t.”

Webster has already pleaded guilty and the AFL have asked for eight weeks despite the contrition from the player.

AFL counsel Andrew Woods argued the incident was “at the higher end of carelessness”.

He also pointed to a 2017 hearing on Richmond’s Bachar Houli’s striking charge against Carlton’s Jed Lamb, which led to Houli being banned for two weeks for striking after swinging his arm behind him and collecting the Blue and knocking him unconscious.

Woods noted a line from that hearing, saying: “A blow from a person of exemplary character has the same effect as a blow from a person of bad character.”

St Kilda’s counsel Adrian Anderson argued an eight-match ban is “excessive and disproportionate in the circumstances.”

He mentioned the Gaff incident, saying it was behind play and smashed the jaw of Brayshaw, adding the Webster hit was “very comparable to the Powell-Pepper incident”, angling for a four week ban.

AFL 360’s Mark Robinson called the suggestion it was similar to Powell-Pepper’s bump was “illogical”.

“I’ve just got to take issue with Adrian Anderson — that is illogical to argue that it’s in the vicinity of Sam Powell-Pepper,” Robinson said.

“I know he’s got to defend St Kilda and put up a case, but to put up it’s the same or equivalent of or in the same ballpark as Sam Powell-Pepper, that’s wrong.”

Robinson said it wasn’t about carelessness, arguing it was “deliberate”.

Jimmy Webster is set for some time on the sidelines. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Ahead of the hearing, Simpkin was ruled out of Norths round one clash against the GWS Giants despite it being 13 days since the incident, with the club saying: “Jy’s health and wellbeing is our number one priority.”

“Given Jy’s concussion history, our medical team will take a conservative approach to his management and recovery as per the AFL’s Concussion Protocols,” the club said via a statement attributed to general manager of football Todd Viney.

“Jy came into the club today, he’s doing well and is in good spirits but his official return-to-play timeline is unclear at this point as it depends on his progress.”