I was just stunned, says Dee

CLAYTON Oliver says he is not a stager, adamant he was “rocked” by Will Schofield’s elbow to his jaw.

But the Melbourne midfielder’s testimony and requirement for a doctor’s assessment will affect Schofield’s chances of suspension.

Oliver was widely condemned for staging after what appeared to be a glancing blow saw him slowly fall to the ground and grab his chin.

But video replays show there was contact made to his chin, which means the AFL would not consider a staging warning today.

Schofield was reported on the day, with the match review panel carefully considering medical reports when assessing force.

So in effect Oliver’s defence of his actions will provide evidence that could see Schofield suspended.

He is still likely to be cleared under insufficient force, but Oliver was adamant there was contact.

“It probably doesn’t look that bad, but I just wasn’t ready for it,” secondyear star Oliver said on Channel 7.

“I don’t want to look like, obvious- ly, a faker or anything like that. It just sort of rocked me and I wasn’t ready for it. I just shook my head a little bit.”

“I got the doc to have a quick look [at halftime] – it was just a little bit sore. But it wasn’t anything too bad.”

North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington will hope the MRP assessed his punch of Bulldog Toby McLean as a strike to the chest.

A strike to the chest would be assessed as worthy of a $1500 fine, but a strike to the neck is considered high and would see the Roo suspended.