Sydney FC defender Rhyan Grant has ban reduced to two games

Sydney FC defender Rhyan Grant has successfully had his ban for a crunching tackle reduced to two games.

Sydney FC’s Rhyan Grant, left, reacts to the red card shown by referee Kurt Ams during last week’s match against Melbourne City at Jubilee Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

Sydney FC defender Rhyan Grant has successfully had his ban for a crunching tackle reduced to two games, after the A-League disciplinary committee praised his “excellent” prior record and “significant contribution to the wider football community”.

Grant had initially been slapped with a three-match ban after a tackle on Melbourne City defender Nathaniel Atkinson last Sunday, which earned him a red card following the intervention of the VAR.

But Grant’s appeal against the penalty was partially successful, with the committee saying it would have upheld the original verdict but the evidence put forward of his grassroots football work, as well as a blemish-free career before this case.

It means the Socceroos defender will be free to face Melbourne Victory over the Australia Day weekend, and will miss only Saturday’s clash with Adelaide and the subsequent trip to Newcastle.

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Referee Kurt Ams had initially awarded only a yellow card for the tackle, but changed his mind after viewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.

In the evidence put forward by Sydney FC at the tribunal, Grant admitted that the tackle was worthy of a red card but had argued the penalty should be the minimum one-match ban, with another game suspended in light of his clean record and extensive community work.

Nonetheless the player himself was visibly pleased at the verdict, and said: “I’m very happy with the decision, and want to thank everyone involved, especially over the holiday period.

“Now I can’t wait to get back on the pitch for the Big Blue (against Melbourne Victory) in a couple of weeks.”

The dismissal was Grant’s first in his career, including 178 games for Sydney – plus more at representative level, a record the disciplinary committee duly noted.

It also argued that his likelihood of reoffending was “negligible”.

Sydney coach Steve Corica spoke at the hearing in support of his player, having been a teammate previously, while Socceroos coach Graham Arnold supplied a written character reference for the right back.

Sydney FC’s solicitor, Peter Paradise, had drawn parallels with two cases in early 2019 – the dismissal of Brisbane goalkeeper Jamie Young for a head-high challenge on Craig Goodwin, and the red card for then-Wellington midfielder Mandi after kicking out towards the prone figure of Adelaide midfielder Isais.

Both were given three-match bans initially, but both were reduced to two, though Mandi’s third game was commuted to a suspended sentence.

Paradise argued that Grant had been grounded by an initial challenge and had had to leap up for the second – making contact with the ball, Paradise said, before his outstretched leg hit Atkinson’s shin.

FFA’s barrister had argued for a range of “two to three matches” in light of Grant’s record.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH