The AFL Tribunal has upheld Luke Parker’s one-match ban in the 17th consecutive unsuccessful challenge of a dangerous tackle ban by an AFL player this season.
Parker tackled Walsh to the ground in the third quarter of Sydney’s tense win over Carlton at the SCG, with an off-the-ball umpire penalising the Swans co-captain for a dangerous tackle.
The tackle was classed as careless and medium-impact, and while Parker’s team challenged both gradings, the tribunal upheld the decision of the MRO.
The Swans have a bye this week, but Parker will miss their round 13 clash against St Kilda at the SCG, joining fellow co-captain Callum Mills on the sidelines.
Sydney, represented by Duncan Miller, contested that Parker’s conduct was not careless, and challenged the impact grading of medium, saying it should have been deemed low.
“Once the tackle took place, at no time did I feel (Walsh) was in a vulnerable position,” Parker said.
“I was dragging my feet across the ground, while he had a pretty good stance.”
Miller told the tribunal Walsh’s nine-disposal final quarter, the most prolific of any player on the ground, suggested the impact of the tackle had been minimal.
He presented examples of past tackles which he argued were more dangerous than Parker’s but graded as less severe, including an Isaac Heeney tackle on Jye Caldwell in July last year which was graded as low despite contact “far more forceful” than Parker’s on Walsh.
Jordan De Goey’s pre-season tackle on Hawthorn’s Lloyd Meek was also used to support Parker’s case, with that tackle classified as low-impact by the MRO.
Sally Flynn KC for the AFL said Parker’s tackle was “inherently dangerous” because he had pinned Walsh’s arm, rendering him unable to put his hand out to avoid head contact with the ground.
“In the AFL in 2023, a reasonable player would not regard that type of action as prudent,” Flynn said.
Parker argued he had not pinned Walsh’s arm, and his motion was more of “a grab on the bicep”.
Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said the examples of past tackles presented by the Swans were not similar enough to Parker’s tackle to warrant consideration.
“It seems clear to us from the vision that his intention was to tackle Sam Walsh to the ground,” Gleeson said.
“The video examples did not reveal a truly comparable degree of impact.
“We classify the force as medium.”
Read related topics:SydneyncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ70qmmq6xflrOte8%2BaqaSdomLAtr%2FPnqWsoZ%2Bjera8x56jnWWjrK6vv4ycppyZoKmuqrqMraZmpZmowG6%2Bzq6lnWVhaHyvsdasZKysn6fGcIGQm22anpNugnaDwHJrn5lpZYKlfcSbaWptZmmEebKV