Sydney superstar Isaac Heeney is fighting a one-game striking suspension at the AFL Tribunal from 6.30pm (all times AEST), desperately trying to remain eligible for the Brownlow Medal.
Given Heeney would only miss a home game against North Melbourne if unsuccessful, the midfielder’s chances of winning the AFL’s top gong are what’s most at stake.
Heeney was cited after swinging his arm backwards to fend off St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster, hitting the defender high and leaving him with a bloody nose. It was graded as intentional, under a recent AFL tweak which upgrades fend-offs, with low impact and high contact.
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The Swans are expected to challenge the intentional grading and, if they’re able to downgrade it to careless, Heeney would be fined and thus remain eligible for the Brownlow.
Having moved from the forward line into a full-time midfield role where he has shone, Heeney is almost certain to be leading the Brownlow count in the early stages, though the likes of Collingwood’s Nick Daicos, Carlton’s Patrick Cripps and the Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli may have since passed him.
A similar incident from Round 17 could help the Swans’ case, after Port Adelaide’s Brandon Zerk-Thatcher was not cited for the swinging arm which concussed Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton.
“Swinging arm backwards, player out of the game. Is there a material difference between the two?” Gerard Whateley asked on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
Richmond coach Adem Yze believes the Swans have a strong case given Heeney’s lack of intent.
“To be fair, if he’s got an open hand and he’s not looking at him – at a stoppage, Mitch (Sam Mitchell) was amazing at it. You hit someone’s chest, you give yourself a better opportunity to win the clearance,” Yze said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“He’s not looking at him … what hit him? It’s a hard one, I get it and we’re looking after the head, but it doesn’t look like he’s meant it or it’s a dirty act.
“He almost didn’t lead because he felt like he’s accidentally hit him, so you’d give it a go.”
Meanwhile Adelaide is hoping to downgrade emerging superstar Izak Rankine’s four-game bump ban at the Tribunal afterwards, scheduled to begin at 7:45pm (though likely later).
Rankine’s hit which concussed Brisbane backman Brandon Starcevich was graded as intentional with severe impact and high contact, resulting in a whopping four-match suspension.
It will be hard to downgrade the intentional element of the grading given Rankine sought out Starcevich off the ball, though the Crows will argue his actions were careless — not intentional.
“While Izak had no intention of making head high contact that resulted in the injury, it obviously did occur and that is not being contested,” Crows head of football Adam Kelly said.
“We believe however that a careless grading is more befitting of the incident.”
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Source Agencies
