Only a challenge from the Sydney Swans will keep star Isaac Heeney in the running for the Brownlow medal after he was given a one-match ban for an off-the-ball hit on St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster.
Adelaide star Izak Rankine was also offered a suspension of four weeks for the bump that concussed Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevic on Sunday.
After a full day of deliberation, with Brownlow markets suspended, the AFL match review officer deemed Heeney’s backhander was intentional contact, low impact, and high contact, resulting in a one-week suspension.
It can’t be reduced with an early guilty plea and means both the early favorite for the Brownlow and the Rising Star are both ineligible after West Coast’s Harley Reid was suspended for a dangerous tackle.
Heeney made contact with St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster’s face as he attempted to break free on the lead in the third quarter of the Saints’ thrilling two-point victory on Sunday.
Heeneys’ name was removed from Brownlow medal betting with the TAB in the aftermath of the incident, with others suspending betting, and while match review officer Michael Christian analysed the incident.
The Swans star was trying to get seperation from Webster, but threw his arm back making contact, even stopping after feeling that he’d hit the Saints defender before taking a mark.
During the off-season the AFL amended rules so that in the instance of any player forcefully pushing or fending an opponent off the ball, the incident would be graded as intentional rather than careless, boosting the penalty from a fine to a suspension.
Heeney kicked the first of two successive goals after the incident which didn’t escape St Kilda coach Ross Lyon.
“Heeney got two interesting ones, didn’t he?” Lyon said.
“He certainly didn’t mean to clock Webster but accidentally clips him in the head, he goes down, takes an uncontested mark and then there’s an interesting free kick.”
Like Heeney, Rankine’s bump was also off the ball making it intentional, which, when combined with severe impact made for the lengthy penalty.
He can accept the four week ban or choose to contest the suspension without fear of a longer penalty. .
Source Agencies
