Gleeson QC is representing the AFL in Mackay case.
The hanging panel has been appointed. Neitz and Loveridge I don't think have overturned the MRO the last 3 or 4 years I have been watching this. Below is a cut past from Foxsports report at below link with my odd comment in italics.
NOT GUILTY: Crow David Mackay ‘acted reasonably’ says Tribunal jury after heated three-hour hearing
NOT GUILTY: Crow ‘acted reasonably’ says Tribunal jury after heated three-hour hearingwww.foxsports.com.au
Our cast of characters: Geoff Giudice is your Tribunal chairman. David Neitz, Paul Williams and Richard Loveridge are your jurors. Jeff Gleeson is representing the AFL while Andrew Culshaw represents Adelaide.
The AFLPA has sent a submission - which the AFL does not accept. The discussion now is whether the Tribunal chairman should consider the submission.
The AFL is arguing the Match Review Officer & head of footy have the absolute discretion to refer players to the Tribunal, countering the AFLPA's suggestion the league didn't follow its own Tribunal guidelines.
The AFL is speaking first and presenting its case - since Mackay wasn't officially charged by the MRO, of course.
The AFL says the charge is rough conduct. "They all come under the overarching offence of rough conduct ... which is interpreted widely to any conduct which is unreasonable in the circumstances. A specific incident doesn't cease to be rough conduct under that wide interpretation because it might also be conduct that falls under one of the more specific examples, that is there's no compulsion to bring a charge persuant to one of the subsets. It would have been open to articulate the charge persuant to the rough conduct high bumps subset ... but as the AFL communicated, this charge is brought persuant to the overarching offence of any conduct which is unreasonable in the circumstances."
So AFL is saying MacKay's actions were unreasonable - this will be interesting.
Adelaide: The defence is quite simple; the Tribunal jury ought not to be satisfied that his conduct was unreasonable in the circumstances. It's a not guilty plea, the question is whether it's proven Mackay's conduct was unreasonable.
We're viewing the vision of the incident. As per usual it's impossible to watch on the video conferencing software; it's more like a PowerPoint.
Here's the medical report for Hunter Clark from St Kilda: Assessed immediately, clear signs of jaw injury, m(is)aligned front teeth, pain and bleeding. Clark left the game. Required ongoing treatment - CT scan on Sunday morning at the Epworth. Mandibular fracture in two places, unstable. Requires immediate plate fixation. Expected to miss 30+ days training, 6-8 weeks. No immediate concussive symptoms nor post-match, management centered on jaw injury and pain.
The AFL submits if it would be classified, this would be careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, eg 3+ weeks suspended and a direct referral to the Tribunal.
AFL: In the interests of consistency and parity, although you're at large as a jury, you ought place a sanction that's consistent with the MRO guidelines.
Adelaide has three witnesses. Firstly David Mackay, then Chris Sheedy (data analyst, Adelaide) to speak to certain evidence, then Dr Robert Crowther (biomechanics expert).
Mackay now being called.
Mackay, on what he did: I saw the ball go over Clark's head. It started rolling in my direction and I made a decision at that point in time to go after the ball and try and pick it up off the ground.
Adelaide: Did you think you'd get to the ball first?
Mackay: Yes, for the whole period of time leading up to the collision. At no stage did I take my eye off the ball, believing I was gonna be first to it. That belief at no point changed until there was a collision.
Mackay: I saw Clark and Sam Berry in my peripheral vision. But I was solely focused on the football; I was aware of their presence in the general area but having been focused on the ball primarily, I only saw them in the corner of my eye and wasn't 100% sure of their exact whereabouts.
Adelaide: If you thought you wouldn't get to the ball first, would you have done something different?
Mackay: Yes, I could've stopped, changed my run into the contest and positioned my body to either tackle or provide some sort of pressure. At no stage did I have that belief I couldn't get to the ball first which is why I made the decision that I did.
Mackay: I approached the ball on the ground like I've trained for and developed my technique over 15 years in the AFL. I approached the ball in the same way as if there was no pressure around, and positioned my body to take the ball and not put myself at risk of head and neck injury by going head-first. It's how I take ground-balls no matter the situation.
Do you agree you ended up with both feet off the ground?
Mackay: Yes, once the contact occurred. At no stage did I leave the ground before this
Did you leave the ground on purpose?
Mackay: Leaving the ground was purely the result of the impact. As part of my technique to pick up a groundball, at no stage would I leave the ground to do so.
AFL now addressing Mackay.
AFL is showing the vision right at the start of the incident - where Mackay is very far away from the ball, disputing his evidence that he thought he'd get to the ball first. Mackay disagrees.
AFL: "You gave evidence you thought you'd get to the ball first. Having looked at the vision, is that still your view?"
Mackay: Yes
AFL: You see the ball's a lot closer to Hunter Clark there?
Mackay: From that angle, it looks so.
AFL: Not only from that angle, it is the case it was a lot closer to Hunter Clark?
Mackay: At that point in time yes.
The AFL is arguing there's enough distance between Mackay and the ball for it to be a mark (15 metres).
Mackay: I wouldn't say I sprinted as fast as I could. I sprinted at a speed I believed would allow me to get to the ball.
AFL: Even if we accept your evidence, you must've thought it was going to be close?
Mackay: Potentially, but that happens multiple 100 times in a game where I think I can get to the ball first but there'll be some pressure. That's part of the game.
If I believed I couldn't have got there first, I would've changed my run-in, my angle of my body and looked to put pressure, but I didn't have that belief.
AFL: Surely you did run as fast as you could?
Mackay: I'm not sure where it stacks up with my speed capability.
AFL: You knew it was a St Kilda player who was closer to the ball, didn't you?
Mackay: No, because there were times where I believe my teammate Sam Berry was on the other side of Hunter Clark, which is why I wasn't clear on exactly what was happening with those two players. My focus was on the ball.
AFL: But Mr Mackay, certainly a sufficient time before the impact, you knew it was a St Kilda player because you're not saying to the jury you would've clattered into a player if it was your teammate
Mackay: I was trying to go for the ball and get my hands on the ball, and whether that was a teammate or an opponent, my focus was purely on the ball. I wasn't sure of their positioning.
AFL: Just to be clear, it's your evidence that you were sufficiently unaware of whether it was your teammate or Clark, and it would've been the same outcome if your teammate was ahead of Clark?
Mackay: My evidence is I'm not sure at the time I played the ball.
AFL is asking why Mackay would have let up if he'd known he wasn't getting to the ball first, as he previously testified.
Mackay: To avoid getting stepped around. My objective there would've been putting pressure on or to tackle. If I came in at high speed with the intention to tackle, it's very easy to get stepped around.
AFL: Would it be a factor that if you didn't get there first and simply entered the contest in the way you did, you would've injured the player, was that a factor?
Mackay: I wasn't thinking about that at all.
AFL: Do you accept there are occasions where it's not reasonable to contest the ball because you could cause serious injury to another player?
Mackay: I accept there are a number of possibilities that involve that.
Gee AFL just hang him already... cripes.