Geelong Advertiser |
GROVEDALE coach Grant Tanner has slammed the Football Geelong tribunal, claiming the suspension of key playmaker Jarrod Young would change the fabric of the game.
Tanner was furious after Young was handed a four-match ban for charging Newtown & Chilwell's Jarrod McCorkell, believing the offence was only worthy of a free kick.
Young was booked by three umpires on Saturday for his hit on McCorkell, who was heavily concussed and carried from Elderslie Reserve, and later taken to Geelong Hospital.
Eagles president Ian Spolding said McCorkell was "totally knocked out" and had not returned to work after the incident in the second quarter last Saturday.
"He was advised to have a couple of days off work because he was having headaches and he had scans and physio treatment to get his neck and back right," Spolding said.
Grovedale president Neil Vivian yesterday said the club had ruled out appealing the sentence, which he admitted was bitterly disappointing.
"We have to take it on the chin," Vivian said.
"I honestly don't believe Jarrod Young has a malicious bone is his body. He does the tough things in footy and his full intention was to punch the ball.
"But when you consider concussion, ambulance, stretcher and (McCorkell) missing work, I guess he had a case to answer.
"The severity of the sentence is a bit harsh but we're told it could have potentially been more weeks."
Tanner said his assistant coach had every right to be disappointed with the decision.
"It clearly shows on the video he missed (the ball) by a matter of millimetres. If he gets that footy, there's no case to answer," he said.
The four-week ban came only a fortnight after a South Barwon player was cleared for a bump that was deemed accidental, but which left an opponent with a broken jaw.
Tanner said Young was going back with the flight of the ball and accidentally collected McCorkell high.
"They were both in the air at the same time. At the time, we thought it was really brave from our player to go back against it ... and he's ended up collecting him.
"But he (Young) had his eyes for the footy and I don't understand how it works, to be honest.
"The guy gets four weeks because the other guy goes to hospital. If he got back on his feet, Jarrod might have even gotten off.
"I just think the way the game's being umpired at the moment, the AFL has brought it too many bulls--- rules and it's just getting crazy.
"Those kind of things, to me, are ridiculous. If your eyes are on the footy and you can prove that, you've gone to contest the ball and missed it by half an inch, it should be done and dusted."
McCorkell will miss tomorrow's clash with St Albans under the concussion rule, while Young is out for the Tigers matches with Lara, Bell Park, Leopold and North Shore.
