Ovens and Murray: Ben Reid found guilty of intentionally striking Rovers’ Will Nolan

Wangaratta’s troubled season has gone from bad to worse with coach Ben Reid outed at a tribunal. See how the hearing unfolded.

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid was suspended for three matches at the Ovens and Murray league tribunal on Wednesday night.

The Magpies star forward elected to contest a striking charge laid following an investigation into a round 1 incident against Wangaratta Rovers that went unnoticed on the day.

Rovers’ player Will Nolan suffered rib damage from the “haymaker” strike from Reid late in the second quarter and hasn’t played since.

The blow was initially graded as intentional and high impact by investigations officer Enzo Bevacqua and carried a three-match ban.

Wangaratta Magpies coach Ben Reid. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Wangaratta is battling to stay in touch with the top five with only one win after being unable to earn points from its first two matches due to the club’s salary cap breach.

The Magpies play undefeated Albury on Saturday.

Reid could have taken a two-match ban with an early guilty plea, but elected to head to the tribunal where he said he doesn’t “intentionally go out and target blokes”.

In arriving too late to mark the ball, Reid said his focus shifted to bringing the ball to ground.

But in handing down his verdict, tribunal chairman Wayne Taylor said Reid had performed “an illegal act”.

“It was an intent to strike the body, not to hurt the player, but you can’t do that,” Taylor said.

“The player was exposed, he was vulnerable.”

Bevacqua said Reid had taken his eye off the ball and became focused on Nolan, who has not played since the Good Friday game.

“The body contact was intentional and careless,” Bevacqua said.

Will Nolan, left, playing for Wangaratta Rovers last year against Wodonga Raiders. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Nolan’s teammate Tristan Lenaz was called as a witness after being close to the Reid blow he described as a “haymaker” with a clenched fist.

“The hit was late and forceful,” Lenaz said.

“It was a pretty sweet hit and Will hasn’t played since.”

Rovers’ advocate Paul Squires said Nolan could have played in the last round “if it was a grand final” and the revelation earned Reid a downgrade on the contact from severe to high from the tribunal.

It potentially saved him another week’s suspension.

Reid’s advocate Mark Deegan pleaded for leniency.

“There was no free kick awarded, there was no remonstration by any Rovers players at all,” he said.

“Their coach (Sam Murray) was front and centre to the act.

“If he thought something was awry he would have had a crack.”

Deegan had earlier complained about the inability to have the umpires present at the hearing as witnesses despite 13 attempts to do so and being “blocked at every turn”.

CHARGE LAID AFTER INVESTIGATION

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid is confronting a fresh drama with an appearance before the Ovens and Murray league tribunal on Wednesday night to contest a striking charge from the club’s opening match of the season.

Reid, who has been contending with the fallout from the club’s salary cap breach including the loss of its 2022 premiership, has elected not to take a two-match set penalty with an early guilty plea for striking Wangaratta Rovers player Will Nolan.

The incident from the second quarter of the Good Friday match has been the subject of an investigation for unbecoming conduct requested by Wangaratta Rovers.

Reid was not reported by the umpires on the day and the incident escaped scrutiny of the league’s video review panel.

Nolan suffered rib damage in the round one incident and hasn’t played since.

It has subsequently been graded as intentional and high impact and carried a three-match ban.

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid gives instructions to his players in last year’s Ovens and Murray league grand final. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Meanwhile, Wangaratta is expected to learn this week the outcome of a request for an appeal into the O and M league’s decision to strip the club of last year’s flag on the eve of the season.

AFL Victoria recently requested an explanation of the process followed by the O and M before taking the premiership from Wangaratta.

Last week, Reid rejected suggestions the club had purposely blocked his players from putting themselves up for selection to represent the O and M in the May 20 interleague match against Goulburn Valley when none were named in the initial training squad.

“We’re not boycotting the Ovens and Murray representative stuff,” Reid said.

“We’ve talked to players and most of them just want to have a week off footy.

“It’s as cut and dry as it can be and because we were 0-3 there are probably guys not in form to be in the side anyway.”

Wangaratta won its first match of the season last Saturday against North Albury and plays leading flag contender Albury this round.

Initial penalties for the salary cap breach included the club not being able to earn points for the first two matches of the season.

Wangaratta had five players represent the O and M last year including Joe Richards, whose best-on-ground display put him on the radar of AFL clubs.

Reid’s former club Collingwood took Richards in the national draft, but he is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Ovens and Murray interleague coach Damien Sexton last year at Mooroopna. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

O and M coach Damien Sexton said he had spoken regularly with Reid about the availability of Magpies players in the lead-up to the squad announcement on Friday.

“Him and the club are still hurting and the decision (to take the premiership) is still very raw,” Sexton said.

“From my point of view, yes it’s disappointing, but I’ve got to respect the (O and M) board and Ben Reid for what he has done in previous times with interleague and the Wangaratta Magpies club.

“The positive is it opens up three or four more spots for other players.

“If we had them we would be stronger, no doubt, but when you give other blokes opportunities, you never know.”

Joe Richards starred for the Ovens and Murray last year before being drafted by Collingwood. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Other Wangaratta players to play for the O and M in its crushing win against Goulburn Valley at Mooroopna last year were Jamie and Mark Anderson, Daniel Sharrock and Dylan van Berlo.

Jamie Anderson is recovering from a knee reconstruction he underwent last year.

Wangaratta’s best player, 2021 Morris Medal winner Callum Moore, didn’t make himself available to play for the for O and M last year.