Jaye Bowden says players need more protection after Old Scholars grand final incident
Two players were so badly concussed, neither has any recollection of their incidents after they ended up in the hospital department. WATCH THE MOMENT THE OLD SCHOLARS MATCH TURNED UGLY >>
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A TOTAL of 14 matches was handed out to two players by AFL Tasmania’s Match Review Office for incidents in the Old Scholars grand final between OHA and St Virgils at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.
Ships player Ray Hill was given four matches for an incident that left Saints playing-coach Jaye Bowden concussed and unable to continue after half-time.
That was doubled to eight matches when the MRO applied its 100 per cent loading for offenses in a grand final, and subsequently reduced to six with an early guilty plea.
Saints player Trad Duggan copped three matches for rough conduct against Hill in the third quarter, which left the OHA player concussed and unable to continue playing.
Duggan’s punishment was doubled to six matches with the 100 per cent grand final loading, and reduced to four matches with an early guilty plea.
Both clubs confirmed their player had accepted the early guilty penalties.
Bowden and Hill were so badly concussed neither had recollection of their incidents.
They ended up in hospital in the same department, neither of them sure about the reasons that put them there.
In an official statement, OHA said Hill had been subject to abuse and threats since the weekend. That was unacceptable.
“He has played in both the TSL and OSFA over several years and has never been reported in his life,” the statement said.
“Since Saturday, our player has received threats and has been affected by the abuse he has received.
“It is very disappointing that people feel that it is ok to abuse and threaten another person.
“We as a club will continue to stand by and support our player.”
WATCH: The moment the Old Scholars Grand Final turns ugly >>
One message to Hill said “you now have a target on your head”. Others were not fit for publication.
“It is absolutely disgusting that this sort of thing has been sent and is taking a real toll on the
already frayed mental health of our player,” OHA said.
St Virgils president Joel Berry said his club was considering an appeal against the six-match Hill suspension.
“We are currently exploring our options within the guidelines for having it from re-graded from high grade to severe contact,” Berry said.
Old Scholars president Mark Heathcote did not return calls from the Mercury.
“Enough of this bulls**t”: Bowden calls out off-the-ball incident
FOOTBALL legend Jaye Bowden has lashed out after an off-the-ball incident left him with virtually no memory of leading St Virgils in the Old Scholars grand final against OHA at North Hobart Oval on Saturday, put him in hospital and off work this week.
Bowden was allegedly hit behind the play early in the second quarter but does not remember the incident, or kicking a goal, and has only small flashbacks to addressing the players at quarter-time.
The three-time Alastair Lynch Medal winner and three-time Hudson Medal winner as State League leading goal-kicker called on the Old Scholars Association to stop this “bullshit”.
AFL Tasmania confirmed an OHA player, who was sent off by the field umpires for 15 minutes, and was reported under rule “22.2.2(a)(i) Intentionally or carelessly striking another person”. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Bowden survived to halftime when his brother Tyler recognised the severity of the situation.
“All I can really recall is playing the first quarter,” Bowden said.
“I can remember addressing the boys at quarter-time and I can’t remember after that.
“I watched the footage and apparently I kept playing for a little bit and I actually kicked a goal, but I can’t remember doing that.
“Off-the-ball stuff, especially when you’re not looking … it scared me a bit.
Bowden’s grand final ended in hospital for tests and a CT scan. He was released at 10pm.
“I left the ground at halftime, I think. My wife saw me running around looking at the fairies and knew something was wrong.
“I said to Tyler in the rooms at halftime, have we started playing yet? And I kept on asking him if I’d kicked a goal or not.
“He was like, what’s going on, so he got the trainer. He came over and I had no idea what I was doing. I was pretty much running on instinct.
“It wasn’t the Saturday afternoon I had envisaged, win or lose.
“I didn’t sleep a wink on Saturday night, so it was pretty rough.”
Bowden is now coming to terms with the consequences.
“It makes you think about it all,” he said.
“If you’re not going to be protected … I understand if you’re going for the football and people bump and things happen.
“It’s not the wild west.
“As we know, heads are sacred precious and it makes you think is it worth it?”
Bowden called on the Old Scholars to take action to ensure there cannot be a repeat.
“In any association, what’s stopping someone from bashing the other side’s best players in a grand final and copping 15 minutes and you don’t have to worry about it,” Bowden said.
“It’s pretty sad.
“Especially being unprovoked.
“It’s up to the league to say we’ve had enough of this bullshit.
“If players are going to come and play in our competition they should at least be protected.
“How do you grow a competition and get good players to come and play only to cop that sort of thing.
“I could have quite happily hung the boots up after Glenorchy. I’ve got my legacy there and whatever. But I thought going to another league, it would be better for it, along with a handful of other blokes, but what’s the point?
“We’ve got to make sure it doesn’t get swept under the carpet.”
OHA president Tim Carter did not see the incident and said the reported player was himself concussed in later incident, ended the day in hospital and had no memory of the Bowden situation.
St Virgils president Joel Berry is determined things must change.
“We will look at our options via the mechanisms of the tribunal, and we’re keeping all of our options open in terms of making sure the punishment fits the crime,” he said.
“If we think that has to happen outside the AFL guidelines, we will explore that.
“We can’t think that as soon as you step over that white line you can just go for it. There should be serious consequences for certain actions, and we as a club are committed to making sure that that kind of stuff is stamped out.
“If we have to be a case-study or a standard bearer for that, so be it.”
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