Huge night at AFL tribunal looms after three controversial bans challenged
A busy Tuesday night at the AFL tribunal awaits after three bans dealt in round one were challenged, with Richmond, North Melbourne and Hawthorn all lodging an appeal.
Richmond's Tom Lynch was hit with a one-game ban for a bump on Carlton's Tom De Koning, and North Melbourne's Jackson Archer was handed a three-match suspension for an incident that left the Western Bulldogs' Luke Cleary concussed.
Meanwhile, Hawthorn's Jack Scrimshaw was dealt a three-match ban for striking Essendon's Jordan Ridley.
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On the contrary, Sydney has accepted the three-match suspension given to Justin McInerney for a bump on Brisbane's Brandon Starcevich.
Match review officer Michael Christian graded the Lynch incident, in which the key forward collided into De Koning in a ruck contest, as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
The big-framed Blue spent some time on the bench after the hit, but did not undergo a head injury assessment and returned to the field.
The collision between Archer and Cleary was sickening. Archer went hurtling into a contest at a meteoric speed and his right knee smashed into Cleary's head, leaving the North defender lying motionless on the Marvel Stadium turf. Cleary was stretchered off concussed but avoided any other serious damage.
The MRO graded the Archer incident as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Scrimshaw hit Ridley high as he rushed up on him close to the boundary, knocking him to the ground and causing a concussion.
The incident was deemed by the MRO as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
The Archer incident has been the subject of searing debate.
Nick Riewoldt, James Hird and Jimmy Bartel are among the AFL greats who've weighed in on the contentious collision.
"I'm just really fearful for the game itself if this guy gets three weeks for this accident," Riewoldt said on Triple M Melbourne's Mick in the Morning.
"You can't legislate accidents out of the game."
Western Bulldogs defender Luke Cleary is assisted from the field after his sickening collision with North Melbourne's Jackson Archer. Getty
Hird said the Archer incident was a "very difficult situation".
"Archer is coming flat out, he hasn't got a lot [of options]. What does he do, jump over him?" Hird said on Nine's Footy Furnace.
"But the rule is you have the onus to avoid it.
"I think it's a very difficult situation to appeal, but it would be very stiff for Jackson Archer to get three weeks."
