AFL MRO News: Geelong Cats' Patrick Dangerfield suspended for foul play in Carlton clash
The AFL’s Match Review Officer handed down two charges from Friday’s match between Carlton Football Club and the Geelong Cats. Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield was handed a rough conduct charge due to what was deemed a dangerous tackle on Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh in the first quarter.
The tackle occurred minutes into the game, with Dangerfield grabbing both of Walsh’s arms as the Carlton player attempted to bypass him. That led to both players having a rough landing as they crashed to the ground. Walsh landed head first and the horrific sight caught the attention of the officiating umpire who immediately penalized Dangerfield for the ‘dangerous tackle’.
According to the AFL Tribunal guidelines, “a tackle where an opponent is slung, driven or rotated into the ground with excessive force may include a run down tackle where the tackled player is driven into the ground with excessive force”. As a result, this tackle, though occuring in one motion, fits into the ‘careless conduct’ category.
Before the MRO grading, Geelong coach Chris Scott expressed his belief that the tackle won't lead to a suspension for Dangerfield. When questioned by Fox Footy reporters on his thoughts on the potential absence of his skipper, Scott responded:
“The way the ball is being interpreted at the moment, if you have hold of an arm, you are very likely to get a free kick for holding the ball.
“Pat didn’t sling him. He had more of an arm, and with that sort of momentum, you’re both going to the ground. That’s the way I saw it.”
However, the MRO graded the tackle as careless conduct, high contact and medium impact, and penalized the Geelong skipper with a one-game suspension. It means Dangerfield will miss the Saturday bout with the Essendon Bombers next week.
Patrick Dangerfield will return for the Cats’ Round 17 game against Hawthorn.
Geelong form takes hit as veteran Tom Hawkins sustains injury against Carlton
The Geelong Cats’ form has significantly declined in the last seven weeks. As if their recent string of painful losses wasn’t demoralizing enough, the Cats have taken further hits to their form after their Friday night bout with Carlton.
Apart from their captain’s suspension, the Geelong Cats’ premiership forward Tom Hawkins suffered an injury during the match. Hawkins was forced to leave the field during the third quarter due to a leg injury.
Despite attempts by Geelong coach Chris Scott to dispel any worries about the injury, Hawkins’ body language as he limped off the field suggested that the injury could be severe. Concerns about his ability to continue playing this season increase as we wait for an official report on the nature and severity of his injury.
Needless to say, Hawkins will be away for a while, and with Geelong struggling to rebuild their form, the absence of one of their star players could hinder their chances of staying in the top-eight.