PANTHERS SET TO ROLL THE DICE
BELL Post Hill risks a twomatch ban as it bids to overcome captain Cam Addie’s striking charge. As it stands, the star defender will miss Saturday’s qualifying final against Bannockburn, but he is determined to clear his name at the AFL Barwon tribunal.
BELL Post Hill star Cam Addie will roll the dice at the AFL Barwon tribunal tonight, hoping to beat a one-match suspension for striking.
The Panthers last night confirmed they would fight the charge against their gun full back, who was reported for a strike on Anakie’s Nic Fairchild in Saturday’s clash at Myers Reserve.
If unsuccessful, Addie faces the prospect of being rubbed out for a further match, meaning he would miss Saturday’s qualifying final against Bannockburn and the semi-final in week two.
Bell Post Hill football manager Tony Dosen said Addie was determined to fight the charge, adamant he did not strike Fairchild.
“He was offered a week and we’re going to challenge,” Dosen said.
“It wasn’t an elbow, it was more of a forearm, and it wasn’t to the head, it was to the chest. There was no video evidence, so we couldn’t go to that.
“Cam is one of the fairest blokes in the competition and he said ‘I didn’t get him in the head or the throat, I got him in the chest’.
“The fella (Fairchild) got a free kick but we didn’t think it was worth the week.”
Yellow carded in the first quarter and booked for careless striking, Addie and the Panthers will argue it was a “fend off” rather than a punch.
“He took the mark and the guy came running at him,” Dosen said.
“He went to push his arm up to fend him off and he got him high in the chest area.
“We spoke to our advocate and he felt there was enough to challenge it.
“If he gets found guilty, he’ll get two weeks, won’t he? We probably wouldn’t have taken the risk if he didn’t think we were a good chance.
“It might have been safer to take a week, but we left it up to Cam and he doesn’t seem to think he’s done too much wrong.”
It promises to be a busy night at the tribunal with up to five cases to be heard.
Among them, Torquay’s Jesse Dawson will fight his three-match ban incurred for striking Barwon Heads’ Jason Kerby.
The case will be heard at AFL Victoria headquarters at Princes Park tonight.