Goulburn Valley: Shepparton United’s Sheldon Bogdan suspended for two matches from melee

The Goulburn Valley league’s match review panel has been working overtime this week dealing with a big melee from last weekend. Read the outcome.

One player has been suspended and 15 other players have been given reprimands following a wild melee in the Goulburn Valley league senior match between Benalla and Shepparton United last Saturday.

Shepparton United’s Sheldon Bogdan will miss the next two matches after accepting an early guilty plea for striking a Benalla opponent and engaging in a melee.

Benalla full-forward Josh Mellington has received a reprimand for engaging in rough play. Picture: Bruce Povey

Video of the melee was scrutinised by the league’s match review panel with Benalla full-forward Josh Mellington escaping with a reprimand for engaging in rough play.

Shepparton United players Adam Pigatto, Fergus Pinnuck, Joel Serra, Kaedyn Napier, Lewis Stanton, Mitchell Roche and Kyle Clarke were all cited by the match review panel for engaging in the melee and all accepted an early plea of a reprimand as did Benalla players Chris Bamford, Christopher Welsh, David Mennen, Finton Brazil, Nicholas Brazil and Samuel Harris.

Euroa star Will Hayes still eligible to win the Morrison Medal after receiving a reprimand for engaging in rough conduct. Picture: Michael Klein

Meanwhile, Euroa star Will Hayes remains eligible to win the league’s Morrison Medal after accepting an early guilty plea for engaging in rough conduct in the Magpies match against Shepparton Swans.

Hayes received a reprimand and no suspension.

Avenel’s Shannyn Hearney has closed to within two matches of the 16-match limit that triggers automatic deregistration as a player.

Last Saturday Hearney was reported in the Kyabram District league for engaging in rough conduct that was graded as intentional with high impact and contact.

The matter was referred directly to the tribunal and Hearney pleaded not guilty.

After learning the struck player returned to the game, the charge was downgraded to intentional, medium impact and high contact.

Hearney was found guilty and received a two- match suspension that increased his career tally from 12 to 14.

MAJOR TRIBUNAL CHANGES

Reported players who opt to fight cases at a tribunal could be watching from the sidelines for longer under changes in country football this year.

Tribunals previously had discretion in arriving at a penalty for players who appeared before them, but that has been scrapped with a move to an on field-offence grading system similar to what exists at AFL level.

Players who have been reported and found guilty in the past have been able to get a reduced or suspended sentence or reprimand based on a clean playing record.

But the only way they can get a discount under the new system is entering an early guilty plea.

Wangaratta coach Ben Reid, right, in last year’s Ovens and Murray grand final. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Last week, Wangaratta coach Ben Reid and Myrtleford player Josh Muraca elected to contest their cases at the Ovens and Murray league tribunal and ended up with three- and four-week suspensions respectively when they both could have received a two-match ban with an early guilty plea.

Paul Squires, who was the opposing team’s advocate in both cases, said clubs had to seriously consider the risks of going to the tribunal with a reported player.

“Unless you are very sure you are going to win, it would appear you are better off taking the early plea,” he said.

“The tribunal doesn’t have any leeway in terms of the penalties they hand out any more.”

The grading table used to handle all reports made in country football from this season.

Victoria is the last state to adopt the changes, with the disciplinary process still starting when a report is made by an umpire on game day.

A league, in consultation with the umpire, must then determine whether the action the player has been reported for is intentional or careless.

Further assessments are made on the impact of the reported action and where contact was made to the body.

Base penalties for offences then apply with a discount of one match if a player makes an early guilty plea in most instances.

AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell. Picture: Supplied

AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell said the changes would lead to more consistency with tribunal penalties.

“It is now a lot clearer for the charged player and the player offended against how the umpire report is being managed,” he said.

“It is clearly defined through the classification of offences process how a report is graded and sanction considered.

“So far this season it has been less contentious than previous years and certainly more consistent.”