- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Charlie Cameron is one of three players to have copped three-match suspensions from Match Review Officer Michael Christian, as the AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles intensifies.
Cameron tackled West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan forcefully to the ground from front-on in the Lions’ win on Sunday, with Duggan’s head hitting the ground and leading to him being substituted out of the match with concussion.
GWS tagger Toby Bedford received the same suspension for his forceful dumping tackle on Richmond’s Tim Taranto that left him dazed late in the last quarter on Sunday afternoon, with the Tigers star later confirmed to also have sustained a concussion.
Both Cameron and Bedford’s tackles were graded as careless conduct with severe impact and high contact, triggering three-game bans.
The Giants have confirmed they will be challenging Bedford’s ban at the AFL Tribunal.
Famously, Cameron was able to have a one-match ban for a similar dangerous tackle on Melbourne’s Jake Lever downgraded to a fine earlier this year, with Lions lawyers successfully convincing the AFL Tribunal that his lack of any previous suspensions were cause for his ‘good character’ to be taken into account.
Speaking before the latest suspension was handed down, veteran Lion Dayne Zorko expressed his confidence that Cameron would have no case to answer.
“I mean, he’s just laid a tackle. I don’t know what else he’s supposed to do,” Zorko told SENQ Breakfast on Monday morning.
“The angles that I’ve seen it looks pretty clear that there’s no intent and no malice in it – he’s just simply laid a tackle.
“Unfortunately, due to the ferocity of it, he’s [Duggan] bumped his head. But for mine, there was nothing in it.
“The different angles and replays I’ve seen, it’s all good from my end.”
Gold Coast’s Alex Davies was also slapped with a three-game ban for his forceful high bump that concussed Port Adelaide defender Lachie Jones.
Davies attacked a disputed contest side-on with Jones’ head already over the ball, with his shoulder making contact with the head.
A dazed Jones needed assistance off the field, and he was quickly substituted out of the game due to concussion.
Davies will be joined on the sidelines by teammate Malcolm Rosas, who received a one-match ban for an ugly high elbow on Power youngster Logan Evans.
With Evans on the mark, Rosas ran past and lifted his elbow to collect an unsuspecting Evans high, with the Port defender initially stunned by the impact but playing out the match with no adverse symptoms.
The hit was deemed as intentional conduct and high contact but only low impact, triggering a one-game ban.
St Kilda youngster Lance Collard is under investigation after allegedly making homophobic comments to multiple opponents during a VFL game on the weekend.
According to the Herald Sun, Collard, who has played three games for the Saints this year after being taken with pick 28 in the 2023 draft, allegedly abused two Williamstown players while playing for Sandringham in their match on Saturday.
If found guilty, it will be the third instance of an AFL-listed player being caught using homophobic slurs this year, with Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson suspended for three weeks for comments made against Essendon during Gather Round, while Gold Coast’s Wil Powell copped a five-week ban a few weeks later after an incident against Brisbane.
With the league desperate to stamp a growing issue out and dealing out escalating suspensions, Collard seems likely to cop the harshest penalty yet if found guilty.
“We foreshadowed both publicly and privately that after what transpired at Gather Round if a similar incident was to happen there would be further consequence,” AFL legal boss Stephen Meade said after Powell’s suspension.
“There could be no clearer message – homophobia has no place in our game, nor in society. We want all people in the community to feel welcomed in our game and comments such as Powell’s only takes away from this.
“As a code, as a community, we all must be better.”
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.