Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce is fronting the AFL Tribunal to try and beat a three-match ban for the collision that left Port Adelaide’s Darcy Byrne-Jones concussed. Live from 6:30pm AEST/4:30pm AWST!
Pearce’s actions were deemed careless and severe impact with high contact by the AFL’s Match Review, resulting in that three-week suspension.
But Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon believes Pearce has an “arguable case” that sits “right in the margins”.
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“I find this one really difficult – I’ve normally got a pretty black and white view,” he said on AFL360.
“Alex Pearce was flat out going for the mark, or going for the intercept. The player (Byrne-Jones) comes into his vision.
“I’ve slowed this down 100 times – at one stage he sort of half went to shoulder, then threw his arms back open again as if to say, ‘No, I will mark this’. And then at the point of impact (sighs), this is why it’s so difficult.
“I can wear that that is a footy act, right. I think that case could be made.”
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Pearce in strife for BRUTAL collision? | 00:34
Fellow AFL360 host Gerard Whateley believes Pearce “wasn’t contesting the ball at that moment of impact” – and that looms large in Tuesday night’s debate.
“The complication in this is the player coming back with the flight of the ball,” he said.
“So when Pearce takes off, his measurements, his trajectories, his assessments … they are complicated by Byrne-Jones who closes from the other way. Port Adelaide’s player gets to the ball first. Pearce arrives late. He doesn’t in my opinion brace, turn, flex in any way – I actually think he tries to stay as limp as he can to minimise the inevitable collision.
“But on the measure of he wasn’t contesting the ball in the moment of impact – that is why he has been suspended to this point.”
Describing Pearce as “intelligent” and “articulate”, Whateley felt the Freo skipper had a good chance to argue his case in front of the Tribunal.
“He will have to explain each step of the way – and he’s one of the players likely to be able to do that,” he said.
“He’s got to persuade a panel of previous players as to when he took off, he legitimately thought he was a chance to take the mark – he actually does arrive at the drop zone to take the mark. It’s just Byrne-Jones coming from the other direction beats him there.”
“Patrick Dangerfield managed to do it, so go for your life,” Lyon added.
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir reiterated his thoughts that Pearce had no choice but to make contact.
“I thought if anything Alex left himself open as well on impact,” he said on AFL360.
“I just see that as a footy act.
“Not sure there’s a lot a 200cm guy running at full pace thinking he’s going to take a chest mark in the wet can do in that situation.”
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