Season hasn't started yet & Christian needs to resign. All good in theory to have one person make the decisions but clearly he is wrong person. Varcoe wasn't even mentioned FFS & Grundy gets off!
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Season hasn't started yet & Christian needs to resign. All good in theory to have one person make the decisions but clearly he is wrong person. Varcoe wasn't even mentioned FFS & Grundy gets off!
They also need to start fining clubs for rubbish medical reports.
Last year Wood was penalised because McGovern of Adelaide put on an act from a minor slap, but Adelaide medical claimed an injury and then GWS did the same with the Redpath incident on "Autumn Leaves" Davis.
Katie Brennan suspended for a week. AFL is just a joke competition that is run by some of the stupidest people in this world.
This is a ridiculous decision and I can't help but feel there's something patriarchal about it.
Pretty sure we will appeal this.
Just saw the footage, can't believe this is worth a one match ban - or any type of sanction.
I was pretty pissed off it drew a free kick and cost a goal live.
Western Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan set to miss the 2018 AFLW Grand Final
THE Western Bulldogs are expected to challenge Katie Brennan’s ban at the tribunal on Tuesday night
Match review officer Michael Christian acknowledged what was at stake with a Grand Final berth on the line, but maintained he had merely implemented the rules.
“You’re aware, obviously, of the implications, but at the end of the day, you’re focused on trying to do the right thing and ... you’re charged with the responsibility of upholding the guidelines and that’s what I’ve tried to do,” he said.
He said that having special consideration for Grand Finals would give the impression that “you can do what you like” in preliminary finals and beforehand.
Cordner received a free kick after tackle but did not leave the ground and played out the rest of the game.
A medical report was considered by Christian, who said the low impact determination was a result of three determining factors after the tackle was deemed dangerous.
“The guidelines say if you’re swung, driven or rotated into the ground with excessive force then it’s graded as a dangerous tackle and therefore rough conduct,” Christian said.
“In my view, there was excessive force with the way that Harriet Cordner was driven into the ground.
“The three things I take into account with impact is the visual look of how severe that impact is, the player reaction and the medical report. Harriet Cordner was initially stunned and was on her hands and knees for a number of seconds.”
Christian said Brennan’s alternative would have been to avoid the driving motion in the tackle.
“That’s the critical element here in determining if it’s unreasonable in the circumstances,” he said.
“The driving motion particularly towards the end of the tackle, for me, didn’t need to happen.”
Christian said he was “fully aware” that the Bulldogs would likely challenge the ban.
“It’s a great opportunity for the Western Bulldogs to put their case forward and for the AFL to put their case forward and let the tribunal decide,” he said.
Brennan spoke before the decision was handed down and said that if it didn’t go her way, there was “nothing to lose” by challenging if the club had to.
Brennan’s teammate Ellie Blackburn told the Herald Sun she was confident that the team could win the premiership without their skipper if they were forced to.
“We’ve played three games that were really tough and hard winning games without Katie throughout the year,” she said.
“Whatever the match review panel puts through it puts through. We play with Katie or we don’t, but we trust our processes and whoever steps up will play well.”
Clubs have until 11am on Tuesday to determine whether they will challenge a ban, with the subsequent tribunal hearing usually held on Tuesday night at AFL House.
If the Bulldogs elect to challenge Brennan’s suspension tomorrow, they will be the first to do so in the two-year history of AFL Women’s.
When's the last time someone in the men's game got suspended for a GF?