- AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon remains satisfied with the court system
- The AFL’s three-match bans have sparked outrage
- Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron and GWS’ Toby Bedford suspended
- Both clubs have appealed to the court.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon says the tribunal system is working efficiently to protect player safety, despite a pair of suspensions this week that sparked outrage from current and former players.
Dillon said the league would look at whether its match review “matrix” was still fit for purpose but suggested he was reluctant to change the way the MRO graded incidents.
This comes as the AFL appeals board prepares to sit for a second consecutive week when Brisbane and GWS challenge the three-match bans imposed on their respective forwards Charlie Cameron and Toby Bedford in the tribunal.
Lions star Cameron was unsuccessful in overturning his rough conduct charge against West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan, while Bedford failed to get his ban reduced for a tackle on Richmond’s Tim Taranto.
The tackled players suffered concussions in both incidents.
Former Sydney Swans captain Jude Bolton was among a number of ex-players who expressed concern about the suspensions and called the tribunal’s decisions “ridiculous”.
“I can’t stand the way things are going in the AFL… both (Cameron and Bedford) have been given a rating of careless (conduct), severe (impact) and high (contact) by the AFL which is just not right,” Bolton wrote on X.
Collingwood great Mick McGuane said the tribunal had “lost its way” and urged the Lions and Giants to challenge the sanctions.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon says the tribunal system is working well when it comes to protecting player safety, despite a pair of suspensions this week that sparked outrage from current and former players.
Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron has failed to overturn his misconduct charge against West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan
“The AFL is jumping at the seams. The essence of our game is being put to the test,” he posted on X.
In Perth on Wednesday for the AFL clubs’ chief executive conference, Dillon insisted the tribunal system was still operating as intended.
“Our court system is built on prioritizing the health and safety of our players, so that’s priority number one, two and three of the system,” he said.
‘Last year we had 35 dangerous tackles rated by the MRO and the tribunal.
“As we stand here, more than two-thirds of the way through the season, we have – including the two that will be appealed this week – only 11 (dangerous) tackles.”
Dillon said this showed players had adapted to the increasing demands of the league’s disciplinary system, but said the grading matrix used by match review officer Michael Christian would be reviewed.
“We review the court guidelines every year, and the matrix is something we continue to look at,” he said.
“It’s a system that’s been in place since about 2004, so it’s been around and has served the game well for a long time.”
GWS star Toby Bedford was also banned for three games for a tackle on Richmond’s Tim Taranto (pictured); he will also appeal to the tribunal.
Bedford teammate and captain Toby Greene told Fox Footy he could understand the one-week ban for the striker but the three-match sentence was “overstepping the mark”.
“When I first saw it, I was standing next to (Richmond defender) Nathan Broad and we were discussing it,” Greene said.
‘We watched the replay and thought if Tim suffered a concussion then they might give him a week and then they would probably challenge him.
“Once he’s three weeks old, it doesn’t seem right to me. He’s making a legitimate play. I feel like this is going too far.
“This is a tackle we’ll see in AFL football for the next 50 years. If we eradicate it, we’ll just have to do the tackle standing up.”