Brayden Maynard MRO verdict: Collingwood defender sent straight to tribunal

Brayden Maynard’s hopes of playing in Collingwood’s preliminary final will be decided at the tribunal after a dramatic day where the AFL intervened in the match review process.

Jack Viney clashes with Brayden Maynard. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

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The AFL has sent Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard straight to the tribunal for the heavy bump which could wipe him out of the rest of the finals series.

In a day of drama, the league’s new football boss Laura Kane intervened in the match review process to ensure the Collingwood hard man would face the tribunal where he will fight to keep his September dreams alive.

Maynard, 26, faces a three-game ban for the bump on Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw which concussed the Demons’ star in the opening term of Collingwood’s seven-point qualifying final win on Thursday night.

A three-game ban would be a devastating result for the defender and a huge blow to the Magpies’ finals chances if he misses the preliminary and potentially Grand Final.

The league issued a statement on Friday evening saying Maynard, who was stand-in captain in Darcy Moore’s absence in recent weeks, had been referred to the tribunal for the incident which was jointly graded careless conduct, high contact and severe impact.

If I’m Michael Christian there is no way I’m want to hang my hat on any definitive decision but he has to for it to be referred 🤷‍♂️

He has to say it’s careless which in itself is controversial.

The tribunal will tell us what incidental contact is still acceptable in our game. 🤦‍♂️

— Nathan Buckley (@ncb_cfc) September 8, 2023

It leaves open the possibility that match review officer Michael Christian was overruled on a decision to clear Maynard, with the league insisting the Magpie had to be sent straight to the tribunal to face the heat for his bump.

The league’s statement on Friday night said the match review officer and Kane had jointly referred Maynard to the tribunal, which is unusual for the football manager to be mentioned in the official verdict statement.

Angus Brayshaw was knocked out in the incident. Picture: Michael Klein.\

It suggests there was influence from above and that the decision reflects the seriousness of the concussion issue in the game as the league prepares to face potential class action lawsuits.

Collingwood is preparing to fight the charge as hard as it can, meaning the club could vigorously defend Maynard at the tribunal on Tuesday and at an appeals hearing on Thursday, if required.

Maynard will argue at the tribunal he was making a genuine attempt to spoil Brayshaw’s kick and braced for contact by tucking his right arm into his body when they collided.

Maynard missed the football in his attempted smother but landed on Brayshaw and made heavy contact with his shoulder to Brayshaw’s head.

The Demon was laid out in the middle of the MCG and was stretchered off, continuing his nasty concussion history including four head knocks in a 12-month span in 2016-17.

Brayshaw was put in concussion protocols on Thursday night, meaning he will miss the semi-final, but is hopeful to be available for the preliminary final the following week if Simon Goodwin’s men make it.

Maynard’s finals fate will hinge on whether he can convince the tribunal panel it was a football accident rather than a careless bump.

It will be one of the biggest and most polarising cases in years as the issue divided the football world on Friday.

The league’s football boss last intervened on a match review matter in 2021 when a bump from Adelaide’s David Mackay on St Kilda’s Hunter Clark was sent straight to the tribunal by former football general manager Steve Hocking in similar fashion.

In that matter the Crows’ midfielder was cleared of any wrongdoing by the tribunal for the bump which broke Clark’s jaw.

The Magpies will hope they are also successful in a bid to clear Maynard for a cut-throat clash against either the winner of St Kilda – GWS Giants or the loser of Brisbane - Port Adelaide.

Former Collingwood midfielder Brodie Holland said the collision was a pure football accident.

“If anyone can change their course of direction in mid-air and in a split second then I’d like to see that,” Holland said.

“The forward defending aerial smother is in play. Once his feet leave the ground his body will fall where it will fall.

“No fault of his own and there is nothing else he could have done. Accidents happen on the footy field.”

AFL PA president Patrick Dangerfield agreed.

“In my view, there is nothing in this,” Dangerfield said on Channel 7.

“You have a duty of care to yourself to protect yourself as you land.

“Unfortunately in this game there is contact that occurs.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was clearly angry Brayshaw was taken out in-game, and wanted justice for the Melbourne midfielder.

“We’ve got a pretty shattered player in there. You can only go by the facts – he jumped off the ground and knocked a guy out,” Goodwin said.

Jack Viney and Brayden Maynard tangle after the incident. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Originally published as Brayden Maynard MRO verdict: Collingwood defender sent straight to tribunal