MRP / Trib. Tribunal Thread - rules and offences discombobulation

[JimmyBC]

Haha, funny you mention this because REH and I have been texting each other all night about how we would have pitched this to both the tribunal and then the appeals board.

They should have started at not guilty due to no definitive vision of "high" contact.

Houston then expresses remorse for the result but reaffirms his (and the club's) view that it was a clean, football act that did not warrant a free kick because no law of the game was broken.

You then also argue the severity of the hit - the direct hit didn't cause the concussion but rather the impact with the ground did - hence you could argue the severity is high rather than severe. A hubris lawyer would then suggest the tribunal be requesting the ground be up before them for said contact with Rankine's head rather than Houston.

And then the last point is that you emphasise the good bloke game - never been suspended before, always plays within the rules and re-emphasise that the hit was deemed on the night to be within the rules of the game.

Instead, they bent over and admitted guilt from step one.

It's like bidding on a house pre-covid. Never meet the asking price, always start low because you can always move up.

I reckon even Dennis Denuto would've played it that way it seems we always cower on so many issues, you may as well swing ya dick into an industrial fan of course they are gonna cut it off & make the easy example.

 

[Skindy]

Feel like I'm going a bit mad when everyone is arguing that there was no definitive vision of high contact when it has been clearly established that, due to Rankine smashing his head into the ground as a result of Houston's bump, the classification is automatically high. It does not matter whether Houston hit shoulder or neck or head. Our argument had to approach the incident around the other details of the charge.

 

[VineValerian]

Waste of time.
We have the finals to focus on now.

Heck the media circus & heck the AFL.
Let’s not make this a distraction.

I disagree. Let's concentrate on it.

If we as a club have any balls whatsoever, this will inspire us to win the whole damn thing for Dan.

Then again, this isn't the club it used to be, so why am I even thinking like that

 

[Duck Farmer]

Strategic error not to lead with the paint lid defence at Tuesday's initial hearing.

 

[Brian McGee]

I don’t think the paint lid argument was that bad, and this is the problem with having David Zita taking the piss in his coverage thinking he is funny rather than actually covering what is being said. Try and touch a paint lid from the side of the can. You can’t. That is why when the tribunal is inaccurate when they argued that he hit the top of the shoulder. He hit high up on the front of the shoulder, which is different.

Not much we can do about it now anyway. Dan was always getting suspended when there was a concussion involved because of the look of the incident. You just ask for a bit of consistency in application.

 

[HinkleysHeroes]

I don’t think the paint lid argument was that bad, and this is the problem with having David Zita taking the piss in his coverage thinking he is funny rather than actually covering what is being said. Try and touch a paint lid from the side of the can. You can’t. That is why when the tribunal is inaccurate when they argued that he hit the top of the shoulder. He hit high up on the front of the shoulder, which is different.

Not much we can do about it now anyway. Dan was always getting suspended when there was a concussion involved because of the look of the incident. You just ask for a bit of consistency in application.

It was a shit analogy imo. Just tell it as it is. Didn't leave the ground, didn't hit his head and the penalty is more than penalties given out with more severe contact. Thats all that needed to be said and it should have been said publicly also.

This is when you need someone like Eddie Macguire fighting for you with his QC's.

 

[JohnHinckleyJr]

Well any team with Zak butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

the most dirty player in the history of the game ..

fined like a mad man must be full of dirty players ..

 

[theouthouse]

So from the AFL tribunal notes it has to be established from here on in, one game is one game whether it's preseason, regular season or finals, 1 match = 1 match.

Whether said player is in contention for an individual award, or any previous record or award is not to be taken into account.

Whether any rule of the game was broken or not.

Any player has the right to not expect physical contact and can throw themselves into any contest without ramification. Further to this point if a player contributes in any way to their injuries for example by ducking, throwing their head back, lack of awareness, leaving themselves wide open, going limp, flat footed into a contest, then the opposition players have a duty of care to make him tea and scones then send them on their way to grandma's house.

Failure to put cream on the scones will result in a 5 game ban.

 

[1954]

Whether it was the hierarchy of the club, its legal advisers or a combination of the two, who ever it was that decided Houston pleading guilty would in any way help his cause should be whipped, f***** and fired into the outer reaches of the galaxy, and regardless of any part he did or didn't play in the whole sorry saga kokhead should be used as the fuel for that one way trip.

The `smoke and mirrors' club, as we were once described by some AFL f***wit is now the cap in hand, bend over, and take it up the date club!

 

[bringbackbucky]

Not really how a 'Chambers' works. They're all individual sole practitioner barristers who happen to operate out of the same building. One being incompetent has no bearing on anyone else who operates out of there.

So instead of engaging an actual law firm - we use a sub-contracting sole-trader who freelances out of a hot desking co-workspace? Sounds very on-brand…

 

[Schulzenfest]

So instead of engaging an actual law firm - we use a sub-contracting sole-trader who freelances out of a hot desking co-workspace? Sounds very on-brand…

That's how every KC and every other barrister in the country practices. 'Law firms' don't employ barristers, they employ non-court specialist solicitors. Might be time to just stop talking confidently about something you clearly don't know anything about.

 

[bomberclifford]

So instead of engaging an actual law firm - we use a sub-contracting sole-trader who freelances out of a hot desking co-workspace? Sounds very on-brand…

That's not how Chambers work but this did make me laugh.

 

[bringbackbucky]

That's how every barrister in the country practices. 'Law firms' don't employ barristers, they employ non-court specialist solicitors. Might be time to just stop talking confidently about something you clearly don't know anything about.

Settle down. I wasn't talking confidently - i was asking the question... Thankfully I've never had to use the services of a lid speaking, over charging barrister.

I'll rephrase my original point. Anyone involved with this whole process should have no involvement with our club ever again...

 

[Schulzenfest]

I'll rephrase my original point. Anyone involved with this whole process should have no involvement with our club ever again...

On that we can agree.

 

[PAFC66]

Shouldn't have pleaded guilty but we're a humble little progressive club from Alberton here to be submissive to the AFL. Thanks Kochie.
Amateurs honestly , it's embarrassing.
Time to move on. Thanks for your service Dan

 

[PAFC66]

The `smoke and mirrors' club, as we were once described by some AFL f***wit is now the cap in hand, bend over, and take it up the date club!

Been the case since chocco left

 

[Duck Farmer]

Shouldn't have pleaded guilty but we're a humble little progressive club from Alberton here to be submissive to the AFL. Thanks Kochie.
Amateurs honestly , it's embarrassing.

We are so far down the gaslighting rabbit hole that we did it to ourselves.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Yep, they never explained why it is worth 5 rather than the baseline 3 that their own categories dictate. Only that it is the 'higher end of carelessness'... but not intentional which is baseline 4 anyway.

I like how the Tribunal finds that its at the 'higher end of carelessness' but also lists the things that Houston actually did (lowering his body, staying on the ground, keeping his arm tucked in, no raising the elbow) to avoid further careless damage to Rankine.

 

[Duck Farmer]

I like how the Tribunal finds that its at the 'higher end of carelessness' but also lists the things that Houston actually did (lowering his body, staying on the ground, keeping his arm tucked in, no raising the elbow) to avoid further careless damage to Rankine.

The AFL are very clear in that it doesn't matter what you do to minimise impact, if the results of your actions injure a player then they're going to throw the book at you.

Unless, of course, you launch yourself at speed in an uncontrolled fashion against a player with a history of multiple concussions and end their career while playing for Collingwood in a Qualifying Final less than 12 months ago. Then it's OK.

Unbiased Commentator: Maynard plays on the edge but in my view there is nothing in this, because you have a duty of care to yourself.

 

[Palpatine_Power]

The AFL are very clear in that it doesn't matter what you do to minimise impact, if the results of your actions injure a player then they're going to throw the book at you.

Unless, of course, you launch yourself at speed in an uncontrolled fashion against a player with a history of multiple concussions and end their career while playing for Collingwood in a Qualifying Final less than 12 months ago. Then it's OK.

He literally has his hands out and could have braced with them, but he tucks his shoulder and hits him squarely in the head. He couldn't have done more to make it worse. He even deviates to hit him.

 

[Palpatine_Power]

I like how the Tribunal finds that its at the 'higher end of carelessness' but also lists the things that Houston actually did (lowering his body, staying on the ground, keeping his arm tucked in, no raising the elbow) to avoid further careless damage to Rankine.

The stuff they roll out to increase the penalty but not reduce it.

 

[yepits2020]

I’m just annoyed over it- maybe I am biased, but we seem to get the sh@t end of these type of decisions, refer SPP.

 

[Spadge]

We need to stop calling our lawyers Dennis Denuto or Lionel Hutz

Its completely unfair to shame Dennis and Lionel like that

 

[Troopsy]

We need to stop calling our lawyers Dennis Denuto or Lionel Hutz

Its completely unfair to shame Dennis and Lionel like that

I’d say Dennis is a better lawyer. The point was that he had a reasonable argument but couldn’t articulate it well.

Our advocates could not do either lol.

 

[Spadge]

I’d say Dennis is a better lawyer. The point was that he had a reasonable argument but couldn’t articulate it well.

Our advocates could not do either lol.

Its just the vibe of it