AFL round 15 MRO and injury news: Geelong sweats on Tom Hawkins foot injury, Patrick Dangerfield MRO finding

Patrick Dangerfield has been handed a suspension from the MRO, with Geelong set to take the ban to the AFL tribunal. JAY CLARK and GLENN MCFARLANE have details.

Geelong will take Patrick Dangerfield’s one-game suspension to the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night in what looms as an important test case for dangerous tackles for the remainder of the season.

Match review officer Michael Christian deemed Dangerfield’s tackle on Carlton midfield star Sam Walsh on Friday night as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, ruling him out of next weekend’s clash with Essendon.

It’s another blow for the under siege Cats midfield, which was systematically shutdown by the Blues on-ball brigade including Walsh, Patrick Cripps and ruck star Tom De Koning.

The Cats are also sweating on the result of scans for veteran forward Tom Hawkins, who suffered a foot issue on Friday night.

Sam Walsh was awarded a free kick following this Patrick Dangerfield tackle.#AFLBluesCatspic.twitter.com/f0eOgFX2sq

— AFL (@AFL) June 21, 2024

Hawkins, 35, is almost certainly playing his final AFL season and if the foot injury is a serious one, it could mean the end of his brilliant career, leaving him stranded on 796 goals.

The Cats are certain to challenge Dangerfield’s match review assessment and will argue the skipper did not sling or rotate in his tackle on Walsh, with no secondary motion involved.

They will also make the point that Walsh was not injured in the tackle and continued to play out the game without discomfort.

Dangerfield pinned both of Walsh’s arms and forced him head-first into the ground as part of a tackle.

Under the AFL rules, the match review officer considers whether “the player being tackled is in a vulnerable position (e.g arms pinned) with little opportunity to protect himself”.

While there was no sling, spearing or rotation motion in the tackle, Dangerfield dragged Walsh into the ground and gave him no chance to put his arms or hands out to stop his head from ploughing into the ground.

If Dangerfield was seen to make an attempt to release Walsh’s arms in the tackle, he would have been in the clear.

Patrick Dangerfield is likely to be looked at by the MRO for this tackle on Sam Walsh. Picture: Michael Klein

Walsh was asked about the incident on 3AW after the game, but stressed he was “fine” and had no issues following the incident.

“That was fine, I sort of had both my arms pinned, so … (the) momentum went into the ground,” Walsh said on 3AW.

“But I felt fine after it. I took my kick and was ready to go. I was feeling fresh.”

Geelong coach Chris Scott said: “The way the holding-the-ball (rule) is being interpreted at the moment, if you have hold of an arm, you’re very likely to get a free kick for holding the ball.”

“And Pat didn’t sling him, he had hold of an arm, and with that sort of momentum you’re both going into the ground. So that’s the way I saw it, but they don’t listen to me.”

Blues medicos were concerned by the significant force of Walsh’s head hitting the ground, but he was cleared of concussion and permitted to return.

The Cats already have significant midfield concerns which were exposed on Friday night in the thrashing from Carlton.

Dangerfield would be a huge loss if he does not win his tribunal case, with Geelong’s grip on a top eight spot under a serious cloud.

CATS SWEAT ON MYSTERY HAWKINS INJURY

— Ronny Lerner

Geelong are concerned about Tom Hawkins’ “mid-foot” injury but are hopeful that it has not ended the veteran forward’s season — and potentially career.

Hawkins limped heavily towards the bench in the third quarter of his team’s 63-point drubbing at the hands of Carlton at the MCG on Friday night and took no further part in the match.

TV replays appeared to show his lower leg give way underneath him behind the play. After departing the field, Hawkins kicked his mouthguard away in frustration.

“I can’t say the news is good news but I’m not saying the news is bad either,” Cats coach Chris Scott said post-game.

“He has had a problem with his toe, so it’s a fair way away from that. It’s not the same injury.

“But the experts we have don’t know so I certainly don’t have anything more to add than that.”

Tom Hawkins was somehow 27 for a decade

Suddenly he’s 45#AFLBluesCats

— Al Paton (@al_superfooty) June 21, 2024

It’s the same foot that Hawkins needed surgery for after the 2022 season, but Scott said it would be a “leap” and “premature” to connect the two injuries.

While Geelong medicos initially weren’t suggesting it was a season-ending injury for the triple premiership champion, by the same token, it didn’t mean it wasn’t a serious issue.

Tom Hawkins on crutches after Geelong’s loss to Carlton. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I certainly don’t want to say anything that alleviates the concern, because we’re concerned, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions either,” said Scott, who remarked it would be “dangerous” to speculate on the nature of Hawkins’ injury.

Tom Hawkins came from the ground late in the third quarter.#AFLBluesCatspic.twitter.com/RWZYr0wA5H

— AFL (@AFL) June 21, 2024

It capped off a rough nine-match stretch for the five-time All-Australian who has now only managed six goals in that period and Scott said the 35-year-old was “reflective” of where the team is at currently, having now lost six of their last seven matches after making a blistering 7-0 start to the year.

“He’s been struggling a bit, but he’s not on his own,” Scott said.

Originally published as AFL round 15 MRO and injury news: Geelong sweats on Tom Hawkins foot injury, Patrick Dangerfield MRO finding