Geelong Advertiser | BELMONT will not appeal at heavy seven-game ban handed to Devon Winsall by the AFL Barwon tribunal.
The 24-year-old was outed on Wednesday night for conduct unbecoming after his strike on East Geelong star Ryan Coy left the Eagle unconscious and suffering severe concussion.
Winsall’s swinging arm made contact with Coy’s head after he disposed of the ball during the first quarter of their Round 1 clash at Richmond Crescent.
It also left Coy unresponsive on the ground for about one minute.
The ban is the heaviest handed down by the AFL Barwon tribunal since Anglesea’s Tom Midolo’s nine-game ban for his strike on Ammo Jarrod Westwood last season.
Belmont Lions advocate Rhett Smith said after the hearing that the club would consider appealing the suspension.
But club president Scott Fort confirmed yesterday the club would not pay the $5500 needed to appeal.
Coy told the tribunal chaired by Phil Swindells that he rated the contact “about a seven or eight” out of 10.
“I don’t remember hitting the ground,” Coy said.
“I was expecting body contact not head contact.”
Coy told the tribunal he had no recollection of the incident, but the club decided to ask for an investigation after viewing the video footage after the match.
The midfielder was also left with a medial injury to his knee which he believed happened after falling to the ground after the collision.
Winsall argued that he wanted to tackle Coy, but chose to block his run after he had disposed of the ball.
Winsall, who pleaded not guilty, said he thought he had made contact with Coy’s shoulder and his forearm made contact with his neck after slipping high.
“I didn’t go out there to internationally to punch Ryan in the face,” Winsall said.
Winsall conceded that what he did constituted a strike even if he didn’t make high contact and that he should have bumped to take Coy out of the play.
East Geelong trainer Tony Craig, who went to Coy’s aid after the incident, told the tribunal the player wasn’t answering or moving when he arrived.
Craig said Coy then collapsed again after being carried to the sidelines.
In summarising the charge, investigating officer Paul Evans said Winsall’s contact was “excessive” and “unduly rough”.
Swindells, when handing down the suspension, said the tribunal had to send a message that acts like Winsall’s “won’t be tolerated”.
“The injuries could have been substantially different,” Swindells said adding that Coy could have easily been left with a broken jaw.
