IN THE CLEAR
SUNS SKIPPER ALL SET FOR CHINA
STEVEN May is free to lead an injury-depleted Suns against Port Adelaide in Shanghai after escaping with a fine for making contact with an umpire.
The situation seemed dire for the Suns early yesterday when they elected not to challenge Sam Day’s oneweek suspension for striking and faced losing May for a week.
May pleaded guilty to accidental contact, not deliberate, and was handed a $1000 fine.
Cats spearhead Tom Hawkins was suspended for a match last week for deliberate contact but May’s was deemed to be accidental and he told the tribunal he did not realise he had touched umpire David Harris.
He told the tribunal he was frustrated at the time, believing a Melbourne player had barrelled into him, and was merely attempting to demonstrate to Harris what had happened. “I’d like to thank the tribunal for a fair hearing, it was never my intention to make contact with umpire Harris,’’ he said.
“It is unfortunate that contact was made; it is not the example I want to set for junior footballers across the country.’’
With Tom Lynch and Day out, the Suns are without a heap of experience and the inclusion of May and David Swallow is a huge boost.
Swallow sat out the final quarter of Saturday’s loss to Melbourne but Suns officials say he is fine to travel with the team today and will play.
The tribunal will convene again tonight after Carlton’s Blues brothers Ed and Charlie Curnow were both referred for umpire contact.
Earlier a host of incidents were thrown out.
Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe can still win a second Brownlow Medal after he was cleared over two incidents in the win over St Kilda.