Melbourne will challenge star Kysaiah Pickett’s one-match ban for his late bump on Jake Soligo in Thursday night’s Gather Round opener between the two sides.
Pickett, late in the second term, charged at Soligo while he had the ball and leapt at him as the Crows youngster handballed it.
While Soligo got up straight away and played on unaffected, the Crows received a downfield free kick for the incident.
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On Friday, the Match Review assessed Pickett’s bump as careless, medium impact and high contact, resulting in the one-match ban.
“In the end it looks like he goes to push off with the contact … the contact doesn’t look a lot to me. In slow motion it looks bad … but there’s a lot worse going around,” Hawthorn champion Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy after the collision.
Dual premiership Kangaroo David King added: “It’s just a dumb thing to do. He’s reaching for contact … and then the onus is on you to miss the head. He’s in trouble.”
It reminded dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna of Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard’s infamous bump on Demon Angus Brayshaw in last year’s finals series where Maynard left the ground to spoil before making contact.
While Maynard got off his suspension at the Tribunal, the AFL later changed the rule, enforcing players to have a greater duty of care to avoid high contact when attempting to smother opponents.
“It doesn’t look good on that angle,” Montagna said on Fox Footy watching the incident back.
“It’s the Maynard rule isn’t it? He jumped to smother and then didn’t avoid the contact. Might be in trouble.”
The Dees, though, will try their hand at the Tribunal — otherwise Pickett will miss Melbourne’s blockbuster Thursday night bout with Brisbane at the MCG.
Pickett received a two-match ban in Round 1 last year for a late bump on Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Smith.
Meanwhile, Carlton has accepted Lachie Fogarty’s one-game suspension for colliding with Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe.
Superstar GWS skipper nervously awaits Michael Christian’s Monday verdict after he slung Gold Coast’s Mac Andrew in a dangerous tackle at Mount Barker on Sunday.
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