Rhyan Mansell learns fate over sickening incident at AFL Tribunal

A landmark ruling at the AFL Tribunal has been handed down with a star being hit with a bombshell ban in the wake of an ugly act.

Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell has had his three-week suspension upheld at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night.

Mansell was handed the three-week ban by the AFL’s Match Review Officer after he shoved St Kilda’s Liam O’Connell into oncoming traffic during the second quarter on Saturday.

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Mansell’s push on O’Connell was assessed as rough conduct, graded as careless with severe impact (due to the concussion suffered) and high contact.

The incident garnered heavy attention as several AFL legends called on the league to take action to eradicate the ugly act from the game.

Richmond attempted to argue Mansell’s shove had no impact on the outcome, stating O’Connell was going to for the mark with or without the shove.

Despite their pleas the AFL Tribunal elected to stick with the punishment handed down in a ruling that should now set a precedent for the remainder of the season.

Mansell learnt his fate at the Tribunal. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images)

The moment of impact. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images)

The Tribunal hit back at Mansell and stated they did not accept his evidence that he hadn’t seen other players running towards the fall of the ball.

“We do not accept Mansell’s evidence that he did not see that two players were running in to attempt to mark the ball. Vision is not consistent with this evidence,” the Tribunal stated after the ruling.

“If, as Mansell said, he did not know that other players were running forward to contest the mark, it’s highly unlikely that he would have pushed O’Connell away from himself and into the path of what would be on his evidence an uncontested mark.

“Mansell’s movements are only consistent with him knowing or assuming that other players were running in to contest the mark.

“Even if Mansell did not see or see sufficiently clearly that other players were running to contest the mark, he would, or should have, assumed that the ball hung in the air for long enough for the reasonable player to expect that players who had set up at about the 30 meter mark would run in and try to contest the ball.”

They added: “We also reject the submission that O’Connell was going to attempt to mark the ball in any event, and that the push did not cause or contribute to the impact.

“It is clear that the push is forceful and affecting the speed at which and the angle at which O’Connell suffered impact.

“The force of the push is a significant factor here. It went well beyond what a reasonable player would consider prudent in the circumstances, particularly the circumstances that the push was in the direction of the path of the ball.

“Mansell breached his duty of care by pushing O’Connell with such force, with the path of the ball directly in the direction of oncoming players.”

O’Connell stumbling off balance towards the oncoming contest. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Mansell’s was the sixth incident so far in 2025 of players pushing their opponents into contests.

He becomes the first player to be suspended after the first five all avoided attention from the MRO.

The landscape of the AFL however changed three weeks ago when the AFL sent a memo to all clubs that a crackdown would be coming on incidents like this.

“The AFL said in a memo to the whole league three weeks ago that they’re going to crack down on exactly these sorts of incidents, and if they’re serious, then Mansell will receive a three-match ban,” Herald Sun chief football reporter Jay Clark said on Fox’s Super Saturday Live.

O’Connell on the deck after the collision. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

AFL great Matthew Lloyd has been pleading with the league to take action since the pre-season, when Richmond’s Sam Lalor was injured after a similar incident, and said it’s time for the league to take action.

“I was really concerned what Ginbey did it because I understand the tunnelling side of it,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“And when you sort of can push a player into traffic and can hurt them, and for whatever reason, the AFL did nothing about it.”

Damien Barrett asked: “When you see that and look, it’s hard to be talking about a younger player in Rhyan Mansell doing this. But when you see that. Does he deserve a three week?”

Lloyd responded: “Yes he does. It’s so dangerous. Absolutely dangerous. I don’t think he’ll be playing for three weeks.”

Originally published as Rhyan Mansell learns fate over sickening incident at AFL Tribunal