Nick Holman’s ‘perfect tackle’ given all-clear by AFL Tribunal
Gold Coast forward Nick Holman had a two-week suspension overturned after a marathon hearing at the AFL Tribunal.
Gold Coast forward Nick Holman had a two-week suspension overturned by the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night.
The hearing sparked concerns about the future of tackling with Holman laying what many considered to be a perfect tackle on Geelong’s Mitch Duncan.
Holman received a free kick for holding the ball against Duncan, who was subsequently concussed when his head hit the ground, but the Sun also found himself facing a ban.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon said he feared for what the decision by match review officer Michael Christian meant for tackling and triple-Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt said Holman should never have been prosecuted.
“Accidents happen. The internet could burn down if (Holman) doesn’t get off,” he told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“He cannot get done for that. You do the pub test and he doesn’t come out of any pub in Australia thinking he gets two weeks.”
Holman’s advocate, lawyer Stephen Russell, said the tackle was within the rules of the game.
“There is no slinging action. There is no spinning. There is no second action. No excessive force. No pushing into the ground,” he said.
“There would need to be clear identification of what player Holman did that a reasonable player acting in the same circumstances would not have done. That has not been identified at all.”
AFL counsel Jeff Gleeson agreed that it started off as “a terrific tackle”. But he said dangerous tackles often started off this way.
He said that footage which was not available to the public suggested Holman was in breach of the guidelines and urged the tribunal jury to ignore public commentary regarding the case.
“There has been a good deal of vitriol about this charge being laid. Not everyone has seen all the footage,” he said.
But the panel of Wayne Henwood, Richard Loveridge and David Neitz ruled Holman had no case to answer on a marathon night at the tribunal.
Carlton defender Lachie Plowman had less fortune.
After a marathon hearing lasting more than two hours, he was found guilty of rough conduct stemming from an incident that left Hawk midfielder Jaeger O’Meara concussed.
Carlton is considering an appeal against the tribunal’s decision after a spirited debate as to whether a player attempting to spoil was involved in a marking contest proved pivotal to the decision.
Retired County Court judge Ross Howie directed the jury to Plowman’s evidence that he was trying to spoil the football when stating;
“My ruling is that it is not a marking contest because … he is not attempting to mark the football,” he directed the jury.
Meanwhile, Tiger Marlion Pickett has failed in his bid to overturn a one-match ban for striking Brandon Starcevich during Friday’s game against Brisbane Lions.