Source : ABC NEWS
Hawthorn midfielder Conor Nash is facing an extended stint on the sidelines after being sent straight to the AFL tribunal for striking Geelong dynamo Gryan Miers.
Nash is facing a ban of at least three weeks after collecting Miers with a high, swinging arm in the Cats’ seven-point win on Easter Monday.
Miers was subbed out immediately and has entered the 12-day concussion protocols, causing him to miss at least Sunday’s clash with Carlton back at the MCG.
Nash was reported on the spot by the field umpires, and the incident has been assessed as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
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Possibly working in Nash’s favour is that Miers appeared to recover from the incident better than expected.
The Cats forward looked to be concussed before he hit the ground, and staggered off the field with the help of medical staff.
“Sometimes you come in and see a guy who’s clearly still affected, which doesn’t tell you everything, and other times they come in, like today, and he just looked fine,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said.
“He [Miers] said he’s fine.
“He was obviously a bit out of it there for a while, but now he feels great.
“Now he might not be telling me the whole truth, but at least the signs are good.”
When put to Scott that Nash’s strike looked similar to the incident that led to Fremantle’s Patrick Voss receiving a three-game suspension, he said he “wouldn’t argue against it”.
But Scott refused to be drawn on the incident itself, insisting he would “get in trouble from my 40-year-old boss” if he commented, a reference to Cats football boss Andrew Mackie.
“I can’t talk about it … I’m not trying to be smart,” said 48-year-old Scott.
“It would be in your interest if I did, but not in my interest.”
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell conceded Nash could be in some trouble.
“When a player comes off concussed that’s going to go to the MRO, and it’s not for me to get involved in,” Mitchell said.
“His [Nash’s] numbers certainly dwindled after that, and it’s a bit of a difficult one for me to say [if it affected him] without having spoken to him, but I’ll let the process do what it does.”
AAP
