Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-...-of-mro-timing
Quote:
A QUIRK of timing has saved Marcus Bontempelli's Brownlow hopes and his chances of potentially featuring in the AFL finals.
Bontempelli was only fined $2000 from the Match Review this week after his late bump on Nick Haynes during Sunday's victory over the Giants was classified as 'low' impact.
However, it has since been revealed that Haynes – who was struggling to breathe in the immediate aftermath of the blow – sustained a rare fracture to his cricoid (a ring-shaped cartilage around his windpipe) as a result.
It means the important defender – who is a Virgin Australia AFL All Australian candidate – could miss up to four weeks, putting his own chances of appearing in the club's upcoming finals campaign in doubt.
AFL.com.au understands Haynes had undergone scans in the early afternoon on Monday and was preparing to meet with specialists at the time the Giants were required to submit their medical report to the AFL.
Not yet knowing the full extent of the injury, it left Match Review Officer (MRO) Michael Christian with little evidence to determine the impact of the blow by the time he was required to hand down his findings.
It also meant the Giants were left with no opportunity to present more information to the AFL on Haynes' injury.
Giants officials have subsequently expressed their disappointment in the process to the AFL.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday, an AFL spokesperson said: "The Match Review Officer can only adjudicate based on the available evidence at the time."
Had the extent of Haynes' injury been known at the time of the MRO's decision, the bump almost certainly would have been assessed as either 'high' or 'severe' impact.
That would have left Bontempelli staring at either an automatic two-match suspension or a direct referral to the AFL Tribunal, which would have more than likely been advised to hand down a ban of three or more matches.
Without the relevant knowledge at the time of his decision, Christian was forced to use the fact that Haynes only spent a small amount of time on the bench – before playing out the game – as evidence to suggest 'low' impact.
However, the incident occurred with just one minute remaining in the first half, with Giants medics understood to have tended to Haynes throughout the 20-minute interval.
The Giants do not believe that was taken into consideration by the MRO.
Speaking on Tuesday, Giants footy boss Wayne Campbell also revealed that Haynes' inability to breathe properly continued after the final siren.
"It was a very rare one – our doctors haven't seen one before," Campbell said.
"He managed to see out the game … he couldn't breathe at the end of the game, but the doctors did the right thing by him after that. Disappointingly, he'll miss this week."
Haynes returned to the field after the main break, playing the entirety of the second half of the contest and finishing with 26 disposals and nine marks in defence.
"There was certainly consideration to ('medium' impact)," Christian had told AFL.com.au on Monday.
"He did come out onto the ground after half-time and played out the second half, so that was certainly a contributing factor in terms of that determination."
Christian did use the medical report to determine that Haynes had been struck in the throat as a result of the bump. That led him to assessing the contact grading as 'high'.
Where the AFL can appeal decisions made at the AFL Tribunal based on the fact it is an independent body, it cannot appeal the decisions made by the MRO.
This is due to the MRO being an AFL-endorsed decision-maker, meaning there is no action that either the League or the Giants can take following Haynes' scan results.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Haynes out of week one of finals. Good for which ever team gets them. Hopefully us.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Is this the incident where Bont bumps into the guy and immediately raised his arms up?
If so it didn't look too hard and seems like more of an awkward impact than an intent to hurt.
All this article really shows is that
a) the Giants wanted Bont to be rubbed out
b) the MRO is completely dependent on knowing the outcome and that's far more important than the intent and action. I'm not sure that should be the case unless you find they were clearly reckless or acted illegally. Once you've done that you should then assess the damage done.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
The Bont dodging bullets like Neo in the Matrix.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
It's weird, I don't think there was much malicious intent there but the injury is significant.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
The party gets even better.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Wayne Campbell involved. What do we expect?
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
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Originally Posted by
The Doctor
Wayne Campbell involved. What do we expect?
The good old snitch
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
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Originally Posted by
comrade
The Bont dodging bullets like Neo in the Matrix.
Get on him for the Brownlow. Time for payback 22 years after Granty was wrongfully denied his.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
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Originally Posted by
bornadog
The good old snitch
His got form at the tribunal . One of the few things he was consistent at apart from playing a lot of losing games for Richmond
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Very strange for a club to comment essentially pleading for a player to be suspended
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Quote:
Originally Posted by
hujsh
a) the Giants wanted Bont to be rubbed out
It could be internally they are probably planning to play us in the EF and wanted Bont out via MRO hence they took time to prepare the medical report. Too bad it didn't go their way.
The Specialist they booked Haynes in must be a secret Bulldogs supporter ;)
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
I watched the replay and there wasn't much in it. The Bont was going for the smother and couldn't make it and then braced for contact and had pulled up and slowed down for the hit.
He raised his hands as he realised he has given away a free.
I think it just an unlucky hit that he got hurt. The Bont even dropped his knees to avoid a head clash.
Now I even dislike them more if that's possible bunch of sooks.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
Oh for heavens sake. I was amazed the Tribunal even considered this one. It was a body collision that could hardly have been avoided. The club that harbours Jeremy Cameron who caused brain bleeding in his assault on a player, and Toby Greene planting his foot on a players jaw, is dropping its lower lip like a toddler because Bont wasn’t outed? They are such an ordinary bunch of individuals.
Re: Bont still a Brownlow chance after quirk of MRO timing
What a pack of sooks. I wish they had some supporters so we could at least have somebody to taunt.
They don't even have any bots set up to pretend follow them on twitter. At least if you say something political you can be sure a bot will snap back.