FREO FIGHTS FYFE BAN
FREMANTLE will tonight challenge Nat Fyfe’s onematch ban to save the superstar midfielder’s Brownloww Medal hopes.
The AFL yesterday dealtt the brilliant Docker and Brownlow favourite a onematch ban for striking Magpie Levi Greenwood with a raisedd forearm on Sunday.
The contentious suspension meant Hawthorn ball magnet Tom Mitchell was last night installed new Medal favourite ($2.75) aheadd of dominant Melbourne ruck-man Max Gawn ($5) with TAB.B.
But the Dockers last nightt informed the AFL it would for-mally challenge the ruling at the tribunal tonight, believingg Fyfe’s act should be downgraded from intentional to careless.
Fremantle last night said it would “challenge the ban and risk the $10,000 fee if it is upheld”.
Fyfe jumped as he struck Greenwood with a forearm to the head in the Magpies’ 61point win at the MCG. But the hard Collingwood midfielder was not seriously injured in the incident and was able to play the rest of the game.
A downgrade from intentional to careless at the tribunal would result in a fine and keep alive Fyfe’s hopes of a second Brownlow Medal.
Match review officer Michael Christian said Fyfe’s hit was graded as intentional because he raised his elbow in a direct manner.
“A raised forearm or elbow is usually conclusive that it is intentional,” Christian said.
“The ball goes over Nat’s head, he runs at Greenwood, and jumps off the ground and raises his forearm and makes forceful contact to Levi’s head.
“Weighing up all the guidelines and rules around intentionality versus careless, based on that overriding principle that a raised forearm is usually conclusive … intentional was how we graded it.”
Christian said Fyfe’s superstar status and Brownlow standing was not taken into account.
“[I’m] just trying to assess each incident on its merits, forgetting about the names and the players involved and make an assessment as best we can about each particular incident and grade it as best as we poss- ibly can,” Christian said.
Christian said he graded the incident low impact because Greenwood played on after the hit.
The Dockers take on Adel- aide in Perth on Sunday.
Richmond defender Alex Rance was fined $1000 for staging after accentuating a push he received from Bombers’ big man Shaun McKernan in a marking contest on Saturday night.
AFL champion Wayne Carey said Rance should cut out diving to protect his good reputation in the game.
Hawk Shaun Burgoyne was fined for a rough tackle on Port’s Jared Polec, while North youngster Jy Simpkin got two matches for a high bump on Lion Allen Christensen.
Weighing up all the guidelines and rules around intentionality versus careless, based on that overriding principle that a raised forearm is usually conclusive … intentional was how we graded it MICHAEL CHRISTIAN