By Jon Pierik and Hannah Kennelly
In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- Melbourne unsure if concussed defender May will get chance to defend himself at tribunal.
- Gold Coast star Daniel Rioli will undergo surgery on his fibula and be unavailable for several weeks.
- Marcus Bontempelli has signed a four-year contract extension with the Western Bulldogs.
- Carlton star Sam Docherty has announced his retirement from football and will play a farewell game this Thursday night.
Concussed May no certainty to appear at AFL tribunal
Jon Pierik
Steven May’s ability to defend himself at the AFL tribunal on Wednesday night could be compromised if the star defender cannot give evidence.
May was charged and sent directly to the tribunal for a bump classified as careless with severe impact that concussed Carlton’s Francis Evans and also left the Blue with a chipped tooth and broken nose at the MCG on Saturday night.
The hearing typically would have been held on Tuesday, but was delayed by a day to aid in May’s recovery from concussion. May was hurt in a separate incident late in the game, and will not play this weekend.
He is in concussion protocols and was on light duties at the club on Tuesday. A club spokesman conceded May would continue to be monitored and was no guarantee to appear at the tribunal on Wednesday.
“We will see how he is [on Wednesday],” the spokesman said.
Industry sources aware of the case say the Demons’ lawyers will likely adopt, at least in part, the defence Fremantle captain Alex Pearce successfully used before the tribunal in May when cleared of a careless classification for his collision with Port Adelaide’s Darcy Byrne-Jones.
While Pearce’s case differed in that it was an aerial collision in a marking contest, there were similarities in how Pearce arrived second to the ball and took his eyes off it at the last moment to brace for contact. Pearce’s legal team did not challenge the classifications of severe impact or high contact.
They argued Pearce’s actions were reasonable, with the veteran defender stressing he was making a genuine attempt to complete a chest mark at the point of collision.
Industry sources suggest May will also argue that he was challenging for a loose ball and did not divert off his line. However, he was second to the ball, appeared to brace for contact with his right shoulder, and Evans was left with serious injuries.
Demons skipper Max Gawn says the case, which has been debated fiercely in the media and by fans, will set a “precedent” for how players attack similar on-field contests in the future.
“I came in to defend [May] a little bit when it first happened, and the Carlton boys weren’t really remonstrating, and then we all had a look at the ground and the guy’s tooth was missing, so it was, ‘OK, maybe I can’t defend ‘Maysy’,” Gawn said.
“Then we watched the replay, and we were like, ‘Actually, it’s not that bad’, and the Carlton boys still didn’t remonstrate, really, so it’s a tough one.”
Sam Docherty with his partner Nat and children Ruby and Myles.Credit: AAP
Steven May’s immediate playing future is in the hands of the AFL tribunal after his clash with Carlton’s Francis Evans on Saturday night.Credit: AFL Photos
‘Resilience personified’: Docherty announces AFL retirement
Carlton’s Sam Docherty, who came back to football after beating cancer twice and multiple serious surgeries, has announced his retirement and will play a final AFL game at the MCG this Thursday night.
The 31-year-old will play his final game against Hawthorn and will be celebrated with a tribute at the club’s next home game against Gold Coast on August 9.
In a club statement, Carlton said Docherty was “resilience personified”.
A John Nicholls medallist in 2016, Docherty followed that up with All-Australian honours in 2017 and took over the captaincy in 2018. After playing every game for the Blues in 2016 and 2017, Docherty was sidelined for the next two seasons after undergoing back-to-back ACL reconstructions.
He returned in 2020 to play football but was then diagnosed with the first of two bouts of testicular cancer, for which he had multiple surgeries and chemotherapy treatment.
“Perspective is such a valuable thing, and that is what I am most grateful for in my career,” Docherty said.
“When my career started I thought a footballer had to define themselves by the accolades they achieved; while I am certainly grateful for those that have come my way, I will leave this game with so much more.
Sam Docherty is hanging up the boots.Credit: Getty Images
“The experiences I have had not just in my football career, but in life, have moved the goal posts for me – while there has been no shortage of challenges, because of what I have been through I have been allowed to meet so many amazing people and have had the opportunity to have an impact far greater than kicking or handballing a football ever could.”
Carlton Coach Michael Voss paid tribute to Docherty and said he turned every challenge into a triumph.
“He has captained our club, won a best and fairest, All-Australian and been a sounding board for so many of our younger players, and all those things only tell half the story of the Sam Docherty impact,” Voss said.
“What he has done and will keep doing in the community continues to be an inspiration.”
Rioli goes under the knife
Gold Coast star Daniel Rioli will undergo surgery on his fibula and be unavailable for several weeks, in a blow to the Suns’ finals hopes in the run to September.
Daniel Rioli came off injured during the Suns’ loss to the Crows.Credit: AFL Photos
Rioli suffered a leg injury before half-time in Sunday’s shocking 61-point loss to the Crows in Adelaide and had to limp off the ground. The 28-year-old had an operation on his knee in early December last year after sustaining an MCL injury.
“Scans on Monday shows that Daniel has sustained a small fracture to his fibula,” Suns’ head physiotherapist Lindsay Bull said in a statement.
“After discussing the results with Daniel, a decision was made that he will undergo an operation which will make him unavailable for selection for several weeks.”
It’s unwelcome news for Gold Coast, who are bidding to make a first ever finals appearance and who lost midfielder Touk Miller to a hamstring injury last week. The Suns have slid to eighth on the ladder and are set to face the reigning premiers Brisbane this Saturday.