Luke Parker’s six-game ban stands after Sydney’s appeal fails

The Swans challenged Luke Parker’s six-game ban to the VFL Appeal Board on Monday night. They walked away disappointed. SCOTT GULLAN has the details.

Luke Parker failed at the VFL Appeal Board. Picture: Michael Klein

Sydney Swans veteran Luke Parker’s horror season has got worse with the VFL Appeal Board upholding his six-game suspension.

Parker won’t be eligible to play again until Round 18 after Sydney failed to have his sentence for rough conduct reduced to four weeks.

In an hour-long submission the Swans advocate Duncan Miller argued there had been an error of law because the tribunal had focused too much on the outcome and horrific injuries to the Frankston player Josh Smith rather than the action.

They also tried to push that his bump was at the lower end of carelessness and that Smith didn’t take reasonable care by looking out for an oncoming Parker.

Luke Parker’s ban has stood. Picture: Phil Hillyard

As part of this argument the Swans raised St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster’s seven-match ban for his hit on North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin saying it was at the higher end of carelessness.

“The severity of the injury is already built into the impact,” Miller explained. “The (VFL) Tribunal focused, in the carelessness consideration, on outcome.”

But after a 25-minute deliberation the Appel Board rejected all arguments with chairman Will Houghton saying there was no error of law with the original Tribunal finding in all three of the areas raised by the Swans.

It found the Tribunal was within its rights to make the decision, and it was open to the Tribunal to consider the totality of the evidence when saying the carelessness was not at the lower level.

Parker can’t return until round 18. Picture: Getty Images

The chair said he was struggling to see how some of the Swans’ arguments applied to the ‘error of law’ claim, saying they agreed the act was careless with high contact and severe impact.

Parker, who was playing his fourth VFL game after missing the start of the season with a broken arm, had been referred directly to the VFL Tribunal for his bump on Smith which left him with significant facial fractures and concussion.

The medical report forwarded to the Tribunal said he would be sidelined for at least 10 weeks, having suffered multiple fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone which will require surgery.

Parker, 31, has already served one week of the suspension - last Thursday night’s game against the Western Bulldogs - but with the Swans having the bye this week it further adds to his absence.

Originally published as Luke Parker’s six-game ban stands after Sydney’s appeal fails