Melbourne Demons AFL player Tom Bugg suspended by AFL tribunal for hit on Callum Mills
Melbourne’s Tom Bugg has been suspended for six weeks for striking Sydney’s Callum Mills during Friday’s AFL match at the MCG.
Mills left the field after being struck by Bugg in the opening minutes of the match.
The MRP rated the incident as intentional conduct with high impact to the head, with Bugg referred directly to the tribunal.
The Demons player pleaded guilty to the charge, however he did not give evidence at the hearing.
His advocate Iain Findlay told the tribunal Bugg’s remorse, apology and guilty plea should all be taken into account.
The Swans presented two medical reports to the tribunal, with the most recent stating Mills is recovering well from concussion.
After the hearing Bugg said he had no argument with the six week ban.
"I fully accept the sanction that’s been served," he said.
"I’m feeling very embarrassed, and going forward I’ve got a lot of work to do to earn back the respect of my captain, my fellow players and my coaches."
Bugg’s suspension comes after the controversy surrounding Richmond’s Bachar Houli, who was initially given two weeks by the tribunal, before the penalty was upgraded to four weeks on appeal.
