NBates
Brownlow Medallist
I thought about whether to post this or not, but only doing so for the fans on this board. If you look at the video, Smith was responding to Tuohy's first little headbutt. No is doesn't justify it, but that put the thought in Smith's head - he would not have thought to do that action otherwise.
Chris Cavanagh
2 min read
June 4, 2022 - 2:52PM
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AFL: Bailey Smith has been placed on report for a headbutt right on three quarter time in the Bulldogs clash with the Geelong Cats.
Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith faces a stint on the sidelines after being reported for headbutting in a moment of madness during Friday night’s 13-point loss to Geelong.
Smith was involved in a heated exchange with Geelong’s Zach Tuohy during the three-quarter-time break at Marvel Stadium, which escalated to the Bulldogs wingman being put in the book by field umpire Andrew Stephens.
Tuohy clutched his head after Smith’s headbutt appeared to make contact with his forehead.
The Cats backman was sporting a noticeable red bump on his head after the exchange, which followed a brief physical tussle between the pair.
![Bulldogs star [PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] makes contact with [PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD]’s face. Picture: Fox Footy](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2Fb07db3dcfd06c990c57b149c4a5708e5&hash=fce793457e789ac40b8bb91b743e030e "Bulldogs star [PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] makes contact with [PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD]’s face. Picture: Fox Footy")
Bulldogs star Bailey Smith makes contact with Zach Tuohy’s face. Picture: Fox Footy
Tuohy and Smith embraced after the final siren in a sign of no hard feelings.
“Emotions were obviously getting the better of both of us,” Tuohy said of the incident.
“There’s not much in it. It was all love in the end.”
Later in a post-match interview with Seven’s Brian Taylor, the defender played down the mark on his forehead even further when he claimed he “just scratched my head on the grass”.
Smith faces a one-week ban if the headbutt is classified as intentional, low impact and high contact by AFL match review officer Michael Christian.
A grading of medium impact could see Smith miss two matches.
Fremantle forward Michael Walters had a one-match ban overturned for headbutting Melbourne’s Jay Lockhart overturned by the AFL tribunal in 2019, with the Dockers successfully arguing the light contact made was incidental rather than intentional.
However, the Bulldogs would struggle to mount a similar case for Smith.
ONE
23 %
TWO
33 %
THREE
31 %
OTHER
13 %
1566 votes
![[PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD] leaves the ground with a mark on forehead. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2F63d4d4398aba0128c48a0829ea38a799&hash=d1a6d0023fdc7ddbcf05f37b57ac9cab "[PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD] leaves the ground with a mark on forehead. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images")
Zach Tuohy leaves the ground with a mark on forehead. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said the headbutt was an unusual sight in the modern game.
“Absolute brain snap,” Brown said on Fox Footy.
“The old Liverpool kiss. We don’t see it very often. I can’t think of any teammates that have done it.
“What’s the AFL going to say about that? They called Buddy Franklin’s act cowardly. Jeez, that’s worse.”
![[PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD] grabs his head after the contact from the Bulldogs star. Picture: Michael Klein](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2F2d6fee0f12fdb540d05dafccd3497417&hash=6658d1415ccb1a18c1e2472864e8c2e4 "[PLAYERCARD]Zach Tuohy[/PLAYERCARD] grabs his head after the contact from the Bulldogs star. Picture: Michael Klein")
Zach Tuohy grabs his head after the contact from the Bulldogs star. Picture: Michael Klein
Luke Beveridge’s side has a bye next week, before games against Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn kick off a big back half of the season.
Smith, who missed the previous week’s win over West Coast through illness, had played a key role in getting his side back in the game after Geelong opened up a 40-point lead early in the second quarter.
The 21-year-old logged 15 disposals across the second and third quarters of the match, after managing just two touches in the opening term.
He has averaged 31.6 disposals across his 10 matches this season.
Geelong lost key defender Tom Stewart to a concussion during the second term, when he collided with Smith’s shoulder as he attempted to lay a tackle.
However, Stewart will be out of the AFL’s 12-day concussion protocols in time for the Cats’ next match against West Coast in Round 14, given the side has a bye next week.
Tuohy grabs his forehead following the three-quarter time incident. Picture: Michael Klein
AFL MRO, tribunal news: Bailey Smith reported for headbutt on Zach Tuohy
An AFL legend says he’s bracing for what the tribunal says about Bailey Smith’s headbutt after Lance Franklin’s strike on Trent Cotchin was labelled “cowardly”.Chris Cavanagh
2 min read
June 4, 2022 - 2:52PM
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Sneaky Smith HEADBUTT on REPORTContinue watching
AFL: Bailey Smith has been placed on report for a headbutt right on three quarter time in the Bulldogs clash with the Geelong Cats.
Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith faces a stint on the sidelines after being reported for headbutting in a moment of madness during Friday night’s 13-point loss to Geelong.
Smith was involved in a heated exchange with Geelong’s Zach Tuohy during the three-quarter-time break at Marvel Stadium, which escalated to the Bulldogs wingman being put in the book by field umpire Andrew Stephens.
Tuohy clutched his head after Smith’s headbutt appeared to make contact with his forehead.
The Cats backman was sporting a noticeable red bump on his head after the exchange, which followed a brief physical tussle between the pair.
Bulldogs star Bailey Smith makes contact with Zach Tuohy’s face. Picture: Fox Footy
Tuohy and Smith embraced after the final siren in a sign of no hard feelings.
“Emotions were obviously getting the better of both of us,” Tuohy said of the incident.
“There’s not much in it. It was all love in the end.”
Later in a post-match interview with Seven’s Brian Taylor, the defender played down the mark on his forehead even further when he claimed he “just scratched my head on the grass”.
Smith faces a one-week ban if the headbutt is classified as intentional, low impact and high contact by AFL match review officer Michael Christian.
A grading of medium impact could see Smith miss two matches.
Fremantle forward Michael Walters had a one-match ban overturned for headbutting Melbourne’s Jay Lockhart overturned by the AFL tribunal in 2019, with the Dockers successfully arguing the light contact made was incidental rather than intentional.
However, the Bulldogs would struggle to mount a similar case for Smith.
How many games should Bulldog Bailey Smith receive after being reported for headbutting?
ONE
23 %
TWO
33 %
THREE
31 %
OTHER
13 %
1566 votes
Zach Tuohy leaves the ground with a mark on forehead. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown said the headbutt was an unusual sight in the modern game.
“Absolute brain snap,” Brown said on Fox Footy.
“The old Liverpool kiss. We don’t see it very often. I can’t think of any teammates that have done it.
“What’s the AFL going to say about that? They called Buddy Franklin’s act cowardly. Jeez, that’s worse.”
Zach Tuohy grabs his head after the contact from the Bulldogs star. Picture: Michael Klein
Luke Beveridge’s side has a bye next week, before games against Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn kick off a big back half of the season.
Smith, who missed the previous week’s win over West Coast through illness, had played a key role in getting his side back in the game after Geelong opened up a 40-point lead early in the second quarter.
The 21-year-old logged 15 disposals across the second and third quarters of the match, after managing just two touches in the opening term.
He has averaged 31.6 disposals across his 10 matches this season.
Geelong lost key defender Tom Stewart to a concussion during the second term, when he collided with Smith’s shoulder as he attempted to lay a tackle.
However, Stewart will be out of the AFL’s 12-day concussion protocols in time for the Cats’ next match against West Coast in Round 14, given the side has a bye next week.
Tuohy grabs his forehead following the three-quarter time incident. Picture: Michael Klein
