Source :- THE AGE NEWS
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Fremantle skipper offered three-match ban.
- Foot injury to sideline Magpie Maynard.
Pearce given three-match ban for contentious collision
Jon Pierik
The AFL has made a major statement in its bid to protect players from head injuries, handing Fremantle captain Alex Pearce a three-match suspension for a collision which left his opponent concussed, and fining a Hawthorn player a whopping $10,000 for a dangerous tackle.
The Dockers will consider challenging match review officer Michael Christian’s decision to give Pearce a hefty ban for a collision that knocked out Darcy Byrne-Jones at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
The incident was graded as careless, high contact and severe impact, triggering a three-game ban. Byrne-Jones was concussed and took no further part in the game.
Game over: Darcy Byrne-Jones of the Power on the turf after his run-in with Alex Pearce.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Dockers face Gold Coast, North Melbourne and Essendon over the next three weeks before their mid-season bye.
The suspension will divide the football world, for Pearce appeared to have his eyes entirely on the ball until bracing at the last second as Byrne-Jones ran back with the flight of the ball and left himself exposed.
“Alex has no other option but to brace up. I think he is going to be, unfortunately, given three weeks going off the back of what we have seen this year,” former Crows captain Rory Sloane told The Sunday Footy Show before the suspension was officially revealed.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd agreed the likely suspension was unfair.
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir backed Pearce immediately after the game, claiming his captain would be “crucified” if he had pulled out of the contest.
“I love the courage of Byrne-Jones, and you never like to see anyone get injured. But from what I saw, Alex is making a play on the ball,” Longmuir said.
“(Byrne-Jones showed) extreme courage to go back with the flight like that and touch the ball before Alex gets there, but from what I see, Alex is making a play on the ball (and) I don’t think he makes contact with the head.
“What’s Alex supposed to do in that situation? Pull out of that contest and let him mark it, going back with a flight? He’d get crucified. If Alex pulled out of that contest, that’s what would happen. So I don’t have any issues with it.
“There’s things that happen in our game, and there’s unfortunate contact that happens in our game. It happens in marking contests a lot, and I see it as one of those situations.”
While the incidents were not alike, Sydney forward Joel Amartey was also given a three-match ban last week for a late and high bump on Jordan Boyd which left the Carlton player concussed.
Hawk Jai Newcombe was given a hefty $10,000 fine, which can be reduced to $6250 with an early plea, for a sling-type tackle on Jarrod Berry late in the third quarter of the Hawks’ loss to the Lions on Saturday.
Berry, who immediately felt his head, was not concussed and played on, but the tackle could have caused injury.
The incident was graded as careless conduct, low impact and high contact.
It was Newcombe’s fifth offence for rough conduct, sparking a substantial fine.
Brisbane defender Harris Andrews was fined $6250, which can be reduced to $3750, for striking Connor Macdonald in the second term.
North Melbourne pair Nick Larkey and Paul Curtis were each fined $6250, which can be cut to $3750 with an early plea, for incidents in their team’s loss to Collingwood.
Indiscretions from Saturday’s game led to total fines of $40,750, before early pleas.
The AFL said this money would go to concussion research.
Magpie star sidelined; Bomber hopes for the best
Peter Ryan, Michael Gleeson
Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard suspects he ruptured the plantar fascia ligament in his foot early during Saturday night’s win over North Melbourne, adding to the long list of players sidelined in the past month at Collingwood.
Brayden Maynard has been battling a foot injury throughout 2025. Credit: AFL Photos
The club will await scan results to confirm the ligament is torn before determining how long Maynard will be sidelined for and their recovery plan for him, however there is some hope he won’t be missing for an extended period.
Collingwood defeated North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium without Darcy Moore, Scott Pendlebury, Dan McStay, Lachie Schultz, Jordan DeGoey, Bobby Hill or Steele Sidebottom and lost Maynard to injury in the first quarter.
It was the first match Collingwood had won without either Sidebottom or Pendlebury in their team since round 13, 2009.
Maynard, an unrestricted free agent, is being courted by several clubs including his round 11 opponent, the Kangaroos, but remains in discussions to remain at Collingwood beyond 2025.
He has battled a foot injury this season but has remained in reasonable form and an integral member of the Magpies line-up in the first half of the season.
Meanwhile, Essendon are hopeful Zach Reid can recover within a month from the hamstring injury he suffered during Friday night’s Dreamtime at the ’G match against Richmond.
The unlucky defender has been in great form in the first half of the season, before going down midway through the third quarter against the Tigers.
Reid suffered previous hamstring issues on his left hamstring, but Friday night’s injury related to the 23-year-old’s right hamstring. It was his 10th match for the season and just the 19th of his career since he was pick No.10 in the 2020 national draft.
Experienced forward Kyle Langford was also sidelined during that game with a quad strain and the club is yet to determine his recovery timeline.
Richmond’s youngster Sam Lalor also suffered a hamstring strain in that match, with the Tigers expected to take a cautious approach to the recovery of last year’s No.1 draft pick.
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