Hawthorn and Richmond to appeal Sicily and Mansell suspensions

The Hawks will look to save the “fabric of the game” as they take James Sicily’s ban to the AFL’s appeals tribunal in order to overturn their skipper’s three-match ban.

MELBOURNE – June 10: AFL. Hugh McCluggage of the Lions in the hands of trainers 4th qtr during the round 13 AFL match between Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on June 9, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Michael Klein.

Hawthorn has appealed James Sicily’s three-match suspension on the grounds the ban tears at the fabric of the game.

The Hawks confirmed on Wednesday they would fight the three-match ban at the AFL appeals tribunal on Monday night in a bid to clear the superstar captain for clashes against Gold Coast, Carlton and GWS Giants.

The delay – due to Hawthorn’s bye this week – will force Sicily to wait nine days from when he laid the tackle on Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage to learn whether he transgressed.

And Richmond will also attempt to overturn the three-match ban to youngster Rhyan Mansell for his bump on Fremantle’s James Aish in an effort to prove that accidental contact remains a part of Australian rules.

Hawthorn will challenge Sicily’s tribunal verdict on the basis the tackle which concussed Lion Hugh McCluggage on the wing at the MCG on Saturday did not constitute a rough conduct charge as per the AFL guidelines, and that the classification was inadequate.

It will be alleged Sicily, 28, did not intend to roll McCluggage’s head into the MCG turf in a tackle as teammate Tyler Brockman flew over the top and made contact with the pair.

The tackle left McCluggage requiring medical assistance to walk off the ground. Photo by Michael Klein.

The suspension was criticised by AFL greats including Wayne Carey, Luke Hodge, Jude Bolton and Tony Shaw in recent days, while former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said the game was in “real trouble” if the ban stood.

Sicily held McCluggage’s left arm as he flipped the Lion on top of him and into the ground, concussing the star midfielder in the Hawks’ upset win over Brisbane Lions.

The Hawks unsuccessfully argued Sicily’s tackle did not breach a duty of care in the tribunal hearing on Tuesday night, but will ramp up the challenge on Thursday night on the grounds McCluggage’s injury was an unfortunate accident.

But the league will assert Sicily put McCluggage in a vulnerable position (by pinning his left arm) and used excessive force in the tackle which stopped the game for several minutes as McCluggage required help to leave the field.

Mansell’s bump on Aish was graded as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, but the Tigers will mount a case that the young playmaker was making a genuine play on the ball and that contact was accidental.

James Aish came from the ground following this incident with Rhyan Mansell.#AFLFreoTigerspic.twitter.com/j1cBwGXc6m

— AFL (@AFL) June 10, 2023

The Tigers are expected to make a similar case to Adelaide’s David Mackay who was cleared at the tribunal in 2021 for the bump which levelled St Kilda’s Hunter Clark.

Mackay clashed with Clark at the same time he arrived at the Sherrin and said “it was never my intention to cause any harm, I was only trying to win the ball.”

A Tigers’ statement said on Wednesday: “Mansell pleaded not guilty at the tribunal last night, stating he thought he could win the football and if he kept running straight on, he would have opened both himself and Aish up for injury.”

The appeals will cost Hawthorn and Richmond $5000 on top of the $10,000 for Tuesday night’s tribunal hearing, which must be included in the club’s soft cap.

If Sicily or Mansell are successful the full amount will be refunded.

Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge said the ban had to be overturned and that “common sense has to prevail at some stage” as “players are not robots”.

David Mackay’s bump on Hunter Clark. Picture FOX SPORTS

Hodge said the AFL had to “have some understanding of what they go through.”

“People are trying to say the tackle is dead. The tackle is not dead,” Luke Hodge said on SEN.

“Part of the tackle that is dead is the Nathan Broad tackle. The one where you pin the arms, you dump them into the ground with force.

“(There’s) two motions, head hits the ground and you can tell the intent of the player.

“(In) the Sicily one … he had no intent to put his head into the ground … so you sit back and go it’s just a scratching of the head (decision)..

“It is very confusing and I understand where the AFL are trying to go with the tackling, and the dump tackle. One hundred per cent agree because concussion is paramount.

“You have got to look after the player.

“But there’s so many things in a game of football you have to take into consideration and I feel the tribunal got it wrong.”

An unsuccessful appeal would mean Sicily would miss games against Gold Coast, Carlton and GWS. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Sicily’s tackle was graded as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact by match review officer Michael Christian, triggering a direct referral to the tribunal.

That decision outraged the football world. Former Sydney champion Jude Bolton led a chorus of powerful voices who urged the Hawks to review.

The Hawks travel to Gold Coast next week before games against Carlton (MCG) and Greater Western Sydney (Giants Stadium).

Sicily has won his past three matches and victory in his next game would see the 28-year-old play in four consecutive wins for the first time in seven years.

Originally published as Hawthorn and Richmond to appeal Sicily and Mansell suspensions