Hawthorn midfielder Conor Nash is facing a month on the sidelines as he fights a striking charge at the AFL Tribunal. Live below!
The Irishman’s heavy hit on Geelong’s Gryan Miers concussed the opposition forward and was graded as careless with severe impact and high contact, resulting in a direct referral to the Tribunal.
The Hawks asked for a three-week ban while the AFL sought a four-week suspension, after the Match Review Officer chose not to hand Nash three weeks – which he had the right to do under those gradings.
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Follow David Zita’s live Tribunal blog below, or here!
The Hawks, represented by Myles Tehan, asked for a three-week ban having accepted all elements of the charge.
The AFL, represented by Andrew Woods, asked for a four-week ban from Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson and jurors Jordan Bannister and Scott Stevens.
Conor Nash gave evidence, explaining he had never been suspended or fined as an AFL player nor when playing Gaelic football back home.
“I simply tried to tap the ball and knock it free … I was looking at the footy all the time,” Nash said.
“I knew my arm had hit something.
“Immediately put my hand up to say yep, I’ve got that one wrong, wasn’t my intention but was just what happened.”
Nash said when Geelong players remonstrated he expressed his remorse and said sorry, including speaking with Cats players including Tom Stewart post-game, who agreed it was an accident.
Nash contacted Miers through fellow Irishman and Cat Mark O’Connor, asking if the forward was willing to speak with him, and they spoke via text message and phone call.
The AFL objected to evidence being given from Miers himself, and Nash instead read out the text he sent.
“Hi Gryan, Conor Nash here. Firstly I just wanted to check in on how you’ve pulled up today – hopefully not too bad and can get back on track soon,” it read.
“I’m also reaching out to let you know that there really wasn’t any malice in the hit. I tried to play the ball and I just got it badly wrong. Yes, I do try and play the game with a physical presence but not in that spirit and just want you to know that.
“Again, very sorry for what’s happened and all the circus around it. Hopefully it’s just a week for you and you’re right to go. All the best for the rest of the season. Go well, cheers.”
The AFL said this incident was above the base level of carelessness, and above the base level of severe impact, which warranted a fourth week in the suspension.
“There was no prospect of gaining possession or really spoiling the ball in any meaningful way,” Woods said for the AFL.
“This was always gonna have a very significant impact on the other player.”
The AFL compared the Nash incident to Jack Scrimshaw’s three-match ban earlier this season, saying there were no immediate concussion symptoms in that act and less of an immediate reaction of shock from Jordan Ridley.
Similarly the AFL argued Patrick Voss’ hit on Nick Vlastuin, which fractured the Tiger’s nose but did not cause concussion, was not as bad as Nash’s hit.
The Hawks said a three-week ban was warranted due to Nash’s genuine remorse shown both on the field and since the incident, his immediate acceptance of the charge, the fact it was a football act and because Nash has a flawless record otherwise.
“This was not a dirty act,” Tehan said for the Hawks.
Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson then asked for more evidence from the Hawks and Nash on “how he got it as wrong as he obviously did”.
The Hawks responded that Nash’s eyes were only on the ball and that the incident occurred when Miers lowered the ball during Nash’s swing to try and tap the ball, causing the strike to occur.
“Given the evidence his eyes were on the ball, one of the relevant aspects is the proposition – whether implicit or explicit – that he didn’t realise he was going to hit him in the head,” Gleeson said.
“But arguably having his arm around his (Miers’) back gives him a pretty good idea of where the players’ head is.”
The Hawks argued Scrimshaw’s act earlier this year was more careless but less severe, and thus the three-week ban was fitting, and that Voss’ incident was different because it was an attempted tackle – and thus he was “playing the man rather than playing the ball”.
Reminding the Tribunal of his clean record in 140-odd games in an adopted sport, Tehan said: “It does call to mind the famously impeccable record of another Irishman, Mr Jim Stynes.”
The severity of Nash’s hit on Miers saw renewed calls for the AFL to introduce a send-off rule.
Due to his concussion, and with short turnarounds between games, Miers could miss Cats games against both Carlton and Collingwood if he doesn’t pass through the protocols quickly though the Geelong medical report predicted he would miss one game.
If suspended for four weeks, Nash would miss games against West Coast, Richmond, Melbourne and Gold Coast.
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