NTFL: St Mary’s to defend charges against Michael Coombes at tribunal

ST MARY’S will throw its full weight behind defending key utility Michael Coombes at tonight’s NTFL tribunal

St Mary's Michael Coombes is facing a string of charges at the NTFL tribunal. Picture: KERI MEGELUS

ST MARY’S will throw its full weight behind defending key utility Michael Coombes at tonight’s NTFL tribunal.

Coombes must answer five charges from last Friday’s fiery encounter against Wanderers, four of them involving clashes with the Eagles’ joint captain Thomas Motlop.

Striking, wrestling, rough conduct and kicking charges against Coombes have emerged from the third quarter melee, while Motlop’s one-match ban for wrestling with Coombes can be reduced to a reprimand with an early guilty plea.

“Obviously we’ll be fiercely defending Michael at the tribunal,” St Mary’s coach Rick Nolan told the NT News.

“He is a very important and required player for this club at senior level.’’

Another striking charge relating to Coombes’ clash with Eagle Simon Bates will also be heard, while his one-match ban for striking Justin Maher in the same match can be reduced to a reprimand with an early plea.

Bates’ one-match ban on a rough conduct charge involving Saints’ Francis Kinthari can also be reduced to a reprimand with an early plea.

Wanderers runner Jerome Motlop must answer a misconduct charge from the same match.

Another Saint, Jaryd Cachia, was charged with rough conduct on Motlop in the same melee.

The resultant two-game ban can be reduced to one with an early plea.

Southern Districts utility Henry Armour’s rough conduct charge on Darwin Buffalo Jalen Clarke resulted in a one-match ban but he can reduce that to a reprimand with an early plea.

Wanderers will have their hands in tonight’s first case when key defender Mitchell Taylor appears before the tribunal to answer a front-on charge held over from last week.

Taylor’s first-quarter collision with Buffalo Tai Martin-Page resulted in his opponent suffering a serious spinal injury.