Sydney champion Luke Parker is fronting the VFL Tribunal, facing over a month on the sidelines for a bump gone wrong while trying to play his way back into the AFL side. Live updates below!
The league referred the Swans midfielder directly to the Tribunal after his collision left Frankston’s Josh Smith with facial fractures requiring hospitalisation and a concussion.
The incident was graded as careless conduct with high contact and severe impact.
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The VFL had the option of handing Parker a four-week suspension but sent him to the Tribunal instead.
Parker was only playing for the reserves side because he has been unable to break into a red-hot AFL midfield featuring Brownlow Medal favourite Isaac Heeney plus trade recruit Taylor Adams.
The Swans said they would challenge the base sanction of four weeks, on good character and against the VFL’s upgrading of the charge, but otherwise plead guilty while the VFL asked for a six-week sanction.
The medical report stated Smith will miss 6-8 weeks having suffered a concussion, and multiple fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone, and he will undergo surgery when able.
The VFL argued Parker could have contested the ball but instead contested his opponent.
“It was on the very low end of unreasonableness and carelessness for conduct amounting to a severe impact high bump,” Nick Kidd argued for the Swans, trying to have Parker’s GPS data included in evidence.
They said Parker declerated while approaching the player and reduced his velocity by 67%, moving at 1.3m/s at the point of contact. That is considered a slow walk, with above 2.8 m/s considered a jog.
“From Parker’s point of view, running in a straight line virtually in front of and in line of sight of the victim player, a belief on the part of Parker (was) reasonably held that the victim player would’ve seen him and expected contact,” the Swans said.
Sydney also went through a series of stills which suggested the first point of impact was between Parker’s shoulder and Smith’s body and chest, followed by “an accidental head clash”.
His coach John Longmire argued Parker did not intend any malice and bumping was a reasonable action.
“He went to block and he wasn’t moving,” Longmire said.
“He was actually stationary at the point of contact, he didn’t go high.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way that he intended it to. He’s not a player with any malice in him at all. He plays hard and tough football.
“He actually hit the back of his head, the damage was done on the back of Luke’s head. We really feel for Josh and the Frankston players because it impacted them as well.”
Longmire added: “It’s not as if he did a lot wrong. “He missed nine weeks out with a broken arm and gets going again, playing for the last couple of weeks and faces the tribunal tonight.
“You want to be playing senior football and I’ve been on the record saying that he’s handled it so well. He’s been terrific with our younger players … our VFL coach comments on a daily basis how good he’s been.
“He wants to play senior footy and we’ll be disappointed if he gets suspended tonight for a period of time. But you can also help and he takes great pride in doing that.
“There’s always things that turn out and opportunities arise either through form or injury, whatever it is.”
Live Tribunal updates from David Zita below!
Source Agencies
