MRP / Trib. Isaac Heeney - High contact on Jimmy Webster

[Dave]

On the bright side, at least he didn’t break his hand hitting someone this time.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I would say this -

You can hospitalise a guy with a pretend effort to gain a ‘lift’ with your knee - accident - no case to answer.

You can cause a blood nose trying to break an illegal tackle, without looking at the player, and at waist height - accident but called intentional - and get a week.

Who cares if it was accidentally to the head its still reckless and high impact. He doesn't need to swing his forearm back just like midfielders don't have to throw punches/swing elbows when a tagger blocks their run, let the umps do their job.
And all this guff about Webster falling, if this was a bump that wouldn't fly as an excuse so why should it for a swinging forearm?

 

[BF Tiger]

I am convinced QC/KC's have secretly designed the AFL MRO guidelines which has Christian ticking boxes purely so that everything results in a charge being cited, and thus the maximum amount of KC appearances at the tribunal.

All about that sweet sweet money.

Would not surprise me in the slightest. With AFL endorsement, of course.

It'd be a bit like those memes going around asking AI to re-write something morecool/homie/outlandish

AFL: lawyers, please write some rules
Lawyers: here are some rules
AFL: hmmm, when we said rules we really meant guidelines
Lawyers: here are some guidelines
AFL: i think they need to be more flexible
Lawyers: here are your flexible guidelines
AFL: we need more wriggle room
Lawyers: ok, i think this it what you're after
AFL: are you sure you can't squeeze in some more ambiguity
Lawyers:...

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

Toby cops a $6k fine for an intentional strike, Heeney gets a week for essentially an accident….something does not make sense

 

[Underarm]

Toby cops a $6k fine for an intentional strike, Heeney gets a week for essentially an accident….something does not make sense

Probably your ability to understand how the tribunal works?

 

[Romeoh1]

Bad luck but worth a week.

 

[kickthething]

The point of conjecture will be intentional. Too many are reading the rule as if it cannot be interpreted any other way. The word usually is there for a reason. Usually is the escape clause and the argument will be why this is not usual. I think I read this rule has been challenged twice and the challenge has won twice. This will be downgraded.

 

[Erakor]

You hit someone high off the ball and cause blood, you are getting a week.

No hard feelings against Heeney or Sydney, it’s not a dog act, but you still count allow that to be a fine, given what the AFL have said and most of the time done.

 

[Dazb86]

No idea how this is any different than what happened to Naughton.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

The point of conjecture will be intentional. Too many are reading the rule as if it cannot be interpreted any other way. The word usually is there for a reason. Usually is the escape clause and the argument will be why this is not usual. I think I read this rule has been challenged twice and the challenge has won twice. This will be downgraded.

What’s the point of the rule if they don’t enforce it as it’s written?

If heeney gets off they should just remove the rule.

 

[BomberManU]

If he is suspended, the umpire/s look a bit silly for not even awarding a free kick. If he gets off, then it's ok to swing your arm to make space for a lead, even if it accidentally hits someone in the face, according to the game day umpires and the MRO?

 

[HirdsTheWord]

No idea how this is any different than what happened to Naughton.

BZT was not trying to create separation. Heeney was

That’s the difference. The rule specifically uses the word separation

 

[kickthething]

What’s the point of the rule if they don’t enforce it as it’s written?

If heeney gets off they should just remove the rule.

They are enforcing it as it’s written. The challenge will be like every other challenge on the grading.

 

[kickthething]

BZT was not trying to create separation. Heeney was

That’s the difference. The rule specifically uses the word separation

It says including trying to make separation, not exclusively trying to make separation.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

They are enforcing it as it’s written. The challenge will be like every other challenge on the grading.

That’s the entire point. The rule stipulates it will be intentional if you do everything heeney did.

Under what mechanism can it be downgraded?

if you can downgrade it, you may as well just remove the rule.

i know there's a get out clause in the terms of "usually" so i expect some bullshittery to occur.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

It says including trying to make separation, not exclusively trying to make separation.

I’m ok with BZT getting sited also but it is a different action to Heeney IMO.

BZT IMO didn’t take a swing like Henney did.

I think they both should be suspended but the actions are different.

 

[Maddo11]

If he is suspended, the umpire/s look a bit silly for not even awarding a free kick. If he gets off, then it's ok to swing your arm to make space for a lead, even if it accidentally hits someone in the face, according to the game day umpires and the MRO?

Umps miss shit all the time though, what the umps see or not see doesn't really matter, which is in part they don't bother with reporting players during the game any more.

But also if he does "get off" his suspension, it'll be down graded to a fine, so in no world will it "be okay" to do.

What a ridiculous post

 

[kickthething]

I’m ok with BZT getting sited also but it is a different action to Heeney IMO.

BZT IMO didn’t take a swing like Henney did.

I think they both should be suspended but the actions are different.

how an action causing a concussion is deemed no penalty and another is deemed a penalty for a blood nose shows the random nature of the mro….. it actually is why there are so many successful appeals.

 

[Hoops]

Toby cops a $6k fine for an intentional strike, Heeney gets a week for essentially an accident….something does not make sense

I think they call it the Toby Tax or something

 

[jakson68]

All the MRO can do is tick boxes.
The rule is written to have an out, just in case a high profile player was to challenge it.

There is no way the AFL is going to allow Heeney to be suspended.
He will get off and may even get an apology letter from St Kilda for that dirty player putting his blood on young Heeney.

It is Sydney, they found a way to get Barry Hall off, this one will be easy.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

how an action causing a concussion is deemed no penalty and another is deemed a penalty for a blood nose shows the random nature of the mro….. it actually is why there are so many successful appeals.

id say they got it wrong by not sanctioning BZT. Not because they are charging Henney.

A mistake doesn't give way for another mistake.

 

[TW Sherrin]

drawing blood sealed his fate.

but then again the finals aren't far away and everything changes as they get closer.

 

[The Mares Leg]

You seem to be taking this hard, I suggest going back to the Swans board to cope better

Says another bomber supporter, foaming at the mouth over a Swans player for some pitiable reason or other.

Be proud.

 

[The Mares Leg]

Putting aside the comedy distractions like the Bushranger and Underarm- it's taken two pages for the discussion to arrive back at my point, posted 2 pages back.

It’s all in the wording of the directive - it says something like - ‘will USUALLY result in a grading of intentional’

I would argue this is not ‘usual’

- The tackling player CONTRIBUTED by slipping and this brought his head down to waist height

- the tackling player was actually ‘hanging on’ and Heeney’s clear intent was to clear the tackle, not strike the player

-Heeney was not watching the tackling player at poc.

- Contact was with the back of the hand and his nose was NOT the 1st POC.

There is simply no way the mechanics of this accident fall into the USUAL actions this rule was drawn up to prevent.

He’ll get off and we can all enjoy watching these poisonous bomber flogs calling for a lynching , burn up in the flames of their own straw arguments.

 

[Coalface]

No-one can look at that and think it deserves a week

Given the fixture I think every North Melbourne fan could...