AFL Match Review: Sydney Swans defender Tom McCartin learns his fate at Tribunal

Kieran Francis

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AFL Match Review: Sydney Swans defender Tom McCartin learns his fate at Tribunal image

Sydney Swans key defender Tom McCartin has successfully overturned his suspension at the Tribunal.

McCartin was originally issued with a two-match ban for his bump on Adelaide forward Shane McAdam during the final quarter of last Saturday night's match. However, he elected to fight the charge and will now be free to play after the panel found him not guilty. 

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Tom McCartin overturns ban at Tribunal for Shane McAdam bump

"We’ve decided to challenge it because we feel it was an accidental football incident," Sydney coach John Longmire said ahead of the Swans’ trip to the Tribunal. 

"The ball deviated. Tommy didn’t even really brace, let alone elect to bump. And because of the way it bounced – both to the side and backwards – Tommy didn’t have a lot of choice."

With the ball to be won in Adelaide's attacking 50, McCartin's shoulder struck McAdam high when both players were in the contest. A medical report later revealed the Crows player had suffered a depressed cheekbone fracture.

The incident was initially graded careless conduct, high impact and high contact.

Yet Sydney successfully argued against this charge with McCartin now free to play in his side's last match of the regular season against Melbourne. 

"Although when viewed from certain angles this action looks like a bump - we heard McCartin’s explanation and looked at the footage and the stills showing all angles - we are not satisfied it was a bump," the panel reasoned. 

"We observed that McCartin’s body language immediately after the impact is consistent with him pursuing the ball and not with executing a bump.

"We find that the way in which McCartin responded to a late and sharp change in direction of the ball was not unreasonable. 

"There was little else he could reasonably do than himself change direction, decelerate and ride the inevitable impact, which he did."

Taylor Duryea's one-match ban upheld at Tribunal

The Bulldogs’ Taylor Duryea also tried to escape a ban for a bump when he fronted the Tribunal following McCartin’s hearing.

Duryea was charged with rough conduct for a hit on Jamie Cripps, with the club attempting to free him of the one-match ban in order to play against Geelong.  

However, Duryea was unsuccessful in his hearing and will now miss his side's must-win clash with the Cats on Saturday night. 

"He knew exactly where his opposing player was, because he could see the angle the ball was coming to the ground in, and he breached his duty of care," the AFL's counsel argued. 

The panel agreed with this assertion when they deemed that Duryea had made forceful front-on contact on Cripps. 

"We find that Duryea was not contesting the ball, he wasn't reaching for the ball immediately prior to or at the moment of impact, rather he was bumping Cripps in order to attempt to gather the ball," the panel detailed. 

"Duryea candidly admitted that he was looking at Cripps as he approached him and shortly prior to impact.

"The vision confirms this to be the case. Duryea then turns his body and bumps Cripps."

Collingwood lose Beau McCreery for Friday night blockbuster

The Magpies will be without Beau McCreery for Friday night's match against Essendon, with the forward offered a one-match ban for rough conduct.

During last Friday night's match against Brisbane, McCreery drove Lions defender Darcy Wilmot into the ground via a tackle, with his opponent's head striking the turf.

Match Review findings: https://t.co/NTqa7Lqldq pic.twitter.com/BLBwBvZNYb

The incident was assessed as careless conduct, medium impact, high contact.

Mitch Duncan suspended from Geelong dead rubber

Geelong have missed the top eight and they will also be without Mitch Duncan for their last match of the season against the Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium.

Duncan was given one-match holiday after a sling tackle on St Kilda's Jack Higgins was graded as rough conduct.

Two other Geelong players received fines, with Oliver Henry fined $3000 for rough conduct on Liam Stocker and Tom Atkins was docked $3,000 for kicking Jimmy Webster.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.