'Head has to be protected': Hampden league teammates given big suspensions

Across separate hearings for different incidents, an independent tribunal found Port Fairy captain Matt Sully and teammate Mitch Ryan guilty of rough conduct to a high area on Wednesday, July 24.

Sully was handed a three-week ban for an incident against North Warrnambool Eagles on July 13 while his teammate Ryan will miss five matches for an incident versus Cobden on July 20.

Sully was banned for a second-quarter bump on Eagles player Luke Wines which the match review panel previously graded intentional conduct, high impact to a high contact area.

The star utility was initially offered a four week ban which could be reduced to three with an early guilty plea however Sully and the club elected to contest it at the tribunal.

In the vision showed to the tribunal, Wines handballs just before he is bumped and knocked to the ground by Sully.

Wines took no further part in the game after the bump, a concussion report was filed and he went to hospital following the match where he said he was told he had a concussion.

The Eagles defender said he couldn't remember the incident but had suffered headaches for days afterwards and was forced to take Monday and Tuesday off work and leave early on Wednesday.

He is now subject to AFL Victoria's 21-day concussion protocols.

Sully argued it was a split-second, late decision to bump which saw his shoulder make contact "across the chest, high up on the right shoulder" rather than with Wines' head.

He said he bumped as players are taught and if he had opted to tackle there could have been "a clash of heads" or injury for himself.

The defence also made note of what looked to be a push from one of Sully's teammates on Wines which they said put him off balance just before the bump.

The Port Fairy player testified that he had pushed Wines.

Once found guilty, Sully's advocate asked that he not be suspended under "exceptional and compelling circumstances" due to his impeccable record over a long time at various levels.

The tribunal handed down the three-game sentence, agreeing the contact was high impact to a high contact area however they believed it was "more careless" than intentional.

"There's been a clear message that the head has to be protected and we agree with that as well," a member of the tribunal said.

Following Sully's hearing, Ryan faced the tribunal over an off-the-ball incident which led to his knee or the area near his knee, making contact with Cobden midfielder Patty Smith's head.

The incident was initially graded intentional conduct, severe impact to a high contact area.

It occurred shortly before halftime, with Smith's recollection of the knock hazy.

He said it led to blurred vision and headaches and was subsequently ruled out at halftime by a trainer after a head injury assessment.

Smith said the headaches persisted on Sunday and he was still getting them up until Tuesday but felt "pretty good" on Wednesday.

He confirmed he didn't work Monday, instead visiting the doctor and worked half-a-day on Tuesday and had MRI scans on his head.

A medical certificate was provided to the panel members from a doctor stating Smith visited him on June, 23 and had symptoms consistent with concussion.

Ryan argued he tried to avoid the contact and was changing direction to get involved in the next play.

He said at the last second he saw Smith getting up and tried to jump over him and made contact with his head "just above the knee".

He described the force of the contact as a "graze".

Smith was asked about his concussion history, replying that he had been concussed "six to eight" times playing football, with one occurring earlier in the season.

Ryan's advocate suggested the possibility that Smith's previous concussions might make him more susceptible to them.

He said they were aware how the incident looked but added that it wasn't a deliberate act and was careless rather than intentional.

Once found guilty, Port Fairy coach Dustin McCorkell was able to provide a strong character reference for Ryan, who had only just turned 18.

McCorkell said 'I've got no doubt in my mind that it was an accident".

Before handing down the penalty, the tribunal said it was "not a good look" and "could have been avoided".

They didn't believe it was "a graze", agreeing it was severe impact and high contact but felt it was "more careless than intentional".

They reiterated football leagues' hard stance on head knocks.

"Right from the top grade of football, right down to country football, there's a very clear message in relation to head-high tackles or head-high incidents," a tribunal member said.

The first match of Sully and Ryan's suspensions is on Saturday, July 27 against Terang Mortlake.