AFL round 12: All the latest MRO news from across the AFL

Collingwood will hope to minimise the suspension of Jordan De Goey to three weeks but a larger ban could be coming his way at the tribunal. See the latest MRO news here.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 02: James Harmes of the Demons and Matthew Cottrell of the Blues collide during the 2023 AFL Round 12 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Carlton Blues at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 2, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Collingwood will hope to minimise Jordan De Goey’s impending suspension to three weeks after the league sent his case straight to the tribunal on Sunday night.

AFL MRO boss Michael Christian had an easy decision to assess De Goey’s bump on West Coast’s Elijah Hewett as high contact, severe impact and careless conduct.

That ruling sent De Goey straight at the tribunal for a Tuesday night case where the minimum suspension would be three weeks _ seeing him miss clashes against Melbourne, Adelaide and Gold Coast away.

It is understood De Goey was attempting to reach out to Hewett to apologise on Sunday after hitting him late with a high bump that concussed the Eagles top 20 pick.

Jordan De Goey’s bump. Picture: Getty Images

Elijah Hewett was left concussed after the hit. Picture: Getty Images

West Coast’s Liam Duggan was also offered a suspension after pinning the arms of Taylor Adams and dumping him into the ground despite the field umpire clearly blowing his whistle.

He can accept a one-week ban and miss next week’s clash against Adelaide, with Adams putting his hand up to make clear the whistle had been blown but dumped in a tackle that saw his head make contact to the turf.

While Christian referred De Goey to the tribunal it is the AFL’s legal counsel Stephen Meade who will judge what the AFL asks for in regard to a penalty.

The AFL could ask for a four-week ban given the current climate and the Pies could attempt to argue it down to three weeks.

Meade will work with the AFL’s advocate to decide what penalty the league asks for, with the tribunal to then assess its penalty.

The Pies would cite Tom Stewart’s four-week suspension for a hit on Dion Prestia only last year as a more serious bump than the De Goey-Hewett hit.

Tom Stewart connects with Dion Prestia.

Stewart copped four weeks for his bump, De Goey is looking at a similar suspension.

Stewart’s hit on Prestia was later and more forceful than the De Goey hit, with Prestia having to be helped off the ground by Richmond trainers.

But 12 months on the AFL has clearly hardened its policy on head-high hits given its worries over concussion so De Goey could still face a four-week ban.

De Goey faces a month on the sidelines regardless given the Pies have a bye, but Collingwood believes he has made vast ground in his character development since his Bali escapades last year.

So they will give him freedom to get away over the bye if he needs to get some rest and relaxation while he is suspended.

Eagles star Dom Sheed told 6PR Football after the clash De Goey deserved “a month or two” on the sidelines because of the hit.

“I actually didn’t see it (at the time). I kept looking at the big screen and kept missing it. But I heard it was pretty bad. The boys probably didn’t respond the way we should’ve when that happened. But watching it back now, I think he deserves a good month or two on the sidelines.”

Demon learns fate for high bump

– Chris Cavanagh

Melbourne midfielder James Harmes is set to miss the King’s Birthday clash against Collingwood after being slapped with a one-match ban for a high bump on Friday night.

Harmes, who came on as the Demons’ sub against Carlton, collected Matt Cottrell with a head high bump during the final quarter of the match.

The bump was graded as careless conduct, high contact and medium impact.

Cottrell played on after the bump, leading to the medium impact grading.

Harmes has played six matches for Melbourne this season.