Crackdown on high hits as key Lion gets 2

THE AFL says it will continue to come down hard on players who dish out head-high bumps after banning Brisbane’s Daniel McStay for two matches last night.

The important forward will miss matches against Essendon and Richmond unless he this morning opts to challenge the verdict from match review officer Michael Christian.

McStay crashed into Neville Jetta, making heavy contact with his hip to the Demon’s head on Sunday night.

While Jetta was uninjured and played on in the game, Christian upgraded the impact of the blow to high using the potential to cause serious injury provision. It means the penalty was increased from one to two matches.

Similarly Essendon’s Kyle Langford was banned for one match for bumping Crow Shane McAdam on Sunday.

West Coast Eagle Elliot Yeo was also suspended for one match for striking Collingwood’s Rupert Wills high on Sunday.

Yeo will miss Saturday’s clash against Geelong as a result.

North Melbourne great David King said the league was not coming down hard enough on these dangerous head-high bumps, believing Jetta narrowly avoided a disastrous injury in the incident.

But Christian said recent suspensions on Bomber Dylan Shiel and St Kilda utility Ben Long along with the McStay ban were a strong statement

“We view injuries to the heard very, very seriously and in this particular case, in our view Daniel McStay made a clear election to bump from a front-on position,” Christian said.

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan questioned whether Jetta contributed to the incident by leading with his head into McStay. But Christian said the onus was on the bumper.