Ten-game ban for kick

ROY O’Donovan has been slugged with a 10-match ban for his A-League grand-final kung-fu kick on Melbourne Victory’s Lawrence Thomas.

Having deferred its decision after Tuesday night’s hearing, Football Federation Australia’s disciplinary and ethics committee has taken a tough stance on the Newcastle striker, who will sit out a chunk of next season, although he can serve some of his sentence in the FFA Cup. O’Donovan has seven days to appeal.