Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Harley Reid will miss the first two rounds next season after the AFL Tribunal rejected West Coast’s bid to downgrade his rough conduct charge.
The Eagles young gun pleaded guilty, but tried to have the dangerous tackle grading reduced from high to medium. That would have cut his ban to one game.
Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson KC ruled at Wednesday’s hearing Reid had appeared to sling Hawthorn opponent Jai Newcombe “with all his might” early in the last quarter of Sunday’s game, which ended the Eagles’ season.
Gleeson added Newcombe’s head “bounced sharply” when he hit the ground and he was shaken by the impact.
“Yes, he then kicked the goal (from a free kick) and played well for the remainder of the game. Yes, the HIA has established that he did not suffer a concussion,” Gleeson added.
“But such was the force of the tackle, we considered it surprising he did not. The potential for injury was obvious, we are comfortably satisfied that the appropriate grading is high impact.”
Long-time Eagles advocate David Grace KC had pointed to Newcombe and Collingwood defender Billy Frampton, whose dangerous tackle charges had been downgraded this year at the Tribunal.
But Gleeson rejected those examples in his verdict, saying neither was a sling tackle and the tackles did not have the same force.
Grace had argued Newcombe did not leave the field and was able to play out the game. The Hawks co-captain is expected to play next week in their qualifying final against Fremantle.
AFL advocate Amara Hughes said Newcombe clearly was impacted by his head hitting the ground and added the tackle was “inherently dangerous”.
