The AFL has released an apology to Lance Franklin after Wednesday night's tribunal hearing, during which a member of the league's legal counsel accused the Swans star of โcowardly behaviourโ during an incident with Richmond's Trent Cotchin.
Franklin's one-week ban for striking Cotchin was upheld, but not before the two legal teams engaged in a war of words, with a member of the Swans' legal team suggesting Cotchin would be better suited at the โLogies instead of Brownlowโ for his response to Franklin's strike.
"There are no cowardly players in the AFL, let alone Lance Franklin," the statement read.
"Lance Franklin is a champion of our game.
"In the making of submissions, Legal Counsel Assisting the Tribunal used his own words to describe the circumstances of the strike on Trent Cotchin, namely that Mr Cotchin was reasonably not expecting to be struck by Mr Franklin.
"Trent Cotchin is a Premiership Captain and one of the most respected leaders in the competition.
"It is the AFLโs view that rhetorical flourishes of the nature used by both Counsel last night should not be part of the AFL tribunal process and they do not reflect the views of the AFL.
"The AFL has today contacted Lance Franklin and the Sydney Swans to apologise for the comment and reiterated our respect for Lance and his standing in the game."
