SAAFL Tribunal - Head-butting

[bondy]

A few weeks back, a Smithfield player got cited for headbutting, pleaded guilty, and got 16 games suspension cause the league wanted to make an example of him.

Fair enough, and im not here to condone what our player did that day, as the other bloke from Adelaide Lutheran suffered a fractured cheekbone.

But in light of the league making an example of him, and trying to prevent other players headbutting, how did Mark Harrison from Mitchell Park plead guilty of head-butting and only get 3 games. In my opinion in the first place, 16 games for our guy was quite severe but i would have expected 8-10 anyway so thats fines. just wondering if anyone knows of the Mitchell Park incident and why he would only get 3 games compared to 16 when the league gave our guy 16 purely trying to make an example of him.

[Dogwatcher]

Fair question

[heater31]

There should have been a bloke from Nth Haven go up for the same offence this week but nothing was done so we have all 3- an over reaction, soft and nothing done for the same offence

[Shaz]

What's the go with head-butting if the umpire doesn't see it but the crowd witnesses it and the player that was head-butted goes off with the blood rule?? Is it up to the club to lodge an official complaint or is it just let go.

[heater31]

What's the go with head-butting if the umpire doesn't see it but the crowd witnesses it and the player that was head-butted goes off with the blood rule?? Is it up to the club to lodge an official complaint or is it just let go.

my club is currently going through this process so I don't really know at this stage

[RedHot]

What's the go with head-butting if the umpire doesn't see it but the crowd witnesses it and the player that was head-butted goes off with the blood rule?? Is it up to the club to lodge an official complaint or is it just let go.

Is an interesting point, fair bit goes on that the umpire doesn't see, be it head-butting or striking. Bringing the crowd into the equation might alleviate some of this dirty play if they could be called as witness'. May have a negative impact too though.

[Shaz]

Maybe best to let the players sort it out after the game! Have heard of some after game square ups at pubs after the game!

[footy fan]

A few weeks back, a Smithfield player got cited for headbutting, pleaded guilty, and got 16 games suspension cause the league wanted to make an example of him.

Fair enough, and im not here to condone what our player did that day, as the other bloke from Adelaide Lutheran suffered a fractured cheekbone.

But in light of the league making an example of him, and trying to prevent other players headbutting, how did Mark Harrison from Mitchell Park plead guilty of head-butting and only get 3 games. In my opinion in the first place, 16 games for our guy was quite severe but i would have expected 8-10 anyway so thats fines. just wondering if anyone knows of the Mitchell Park incident and why he would only get 3 games compared to 16 when the league gave our guy 16 purely trying to make an example of him.

Anzac day at Districts in the B grade a player from Seaton who wouldnt have the best record i wouldnt imagine head butted the districts Captain in the view of the umpire and he only got 3 or 4 games. Left the districts player with a split and broken nose, therefore the tribunial needs to look at all cases and maybe do what the afl has done and give out points for offences, so that like offences get like suspensions!!

16 games is a joke though unless he head butted the umpire??

[Spot]

I think it depends on the umpires at the games.

My son was hit while going down to collect the ball, ended up KO on the ground.
The umpires saw what happened and didn't stop the game. The game kept going and the players almost ran over my boy while he was trying to get up with blood pouring out of his mouth. They only stoped after all the supporters scream at them and they saw the blood. He was hit hard and ended up with an open fracture of the jaw and ended up getting a plate put in and a tooth pulled out due to the fracture breaking the roots off the tooth. After 6 weeks of living on banana smothies he could start to eat again.

The umpires saw what happened and didn't even give a free kick. The other player was not reported and thought it was a funny thing he had done.

Some umpires will do the right thing but others won't. I spoke to the Saafl about it and they told me to fill in a report as they also saw it as something that needed to be looked at. I still can't believe that the umpires on that day choose not to report it.

I didn't send in the form as it was better not if my son was to keep playing football as we would come up against those umpires again. My son still plays football and now has a very strong jaw.

So why is the Saafl trying so hard now to set examples, they should have years ago.

I wish they would just protect the players from thugs and slowly remove them from playing assoc football