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AFL Tribunal: Carlton’s Jordan Boyd, Swan Dane Rampe learn their fate

The Tribunal will hear two cases on Tuesday night.

Published by
Mitch Keating

The AFL Tribunal will hear two cases on Tuesday night after Carlton defender Jordan Boyd and Sydney backman Dane Rampe were both charged with rough conduct for separate incidents from Round 18.

The two cases were among 13 charges from the weekend's action, with 10 fines and three suspensions handed down by the AFL's Match Review Officer.

Jordan Boyd's case was referred directly to the Tribunal, while Sydney has decided to challenge Dane Rampe's suspension.

The details for both cases can be found below.

Boyd and Blues face Tribunal for dangerous tackle

Carlton's Jordan Boyd will miss the next three matches after being found guilty by the AFL Tribunal for his dangerous tackle on Port Adelaide defender Darcy Byrne-Jones.

The Match Review officer graded the incident as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact, resulting in a direct referral to the Tribunal with a suggested minimum three-game suspension.

Byrne-Jones suffered concussion symptoms as a result of the tackle.

Yet, the point in which Byrne-Jones sustained this concussion provided Carlton's legal representative - barrister Peter O'Farrell - with enough ambiguity to argue that the All-Australian defender could have sustained his injury following an earlier collision with Boyd's teammate, Adam Cerra.

O'Farrell argued on Boyd's behalf that the grading of severe impact was harsh, instead pleading for a reduced grade of medium, thus allowing for a single-game suspension rather than the three-game banned proposed by the AFL.

The Blues' defence was dismissed after more than an hour of deliberation, with panel members Renee Enbom, Darren Gasper an Jason Johnson finding in favour of the league's legal representative Sam Bird and handing down a three-week suspension.

Carlton are scheduled to face West Coast, Collingwood and St Kilda in their next three matches before a Round 22 clash with Melbourne.

Boyd, who did not provide evidence on his own behalf, will next be available for selection ahead of the latter fixture.

Swans skipper successfully challenges two-game ban

Sydney co-captain Dane Rampe has seen his  two-game ban for rough conduct thrown out after successfully arguing his case at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night.

Rampe was charged following an off-the-ball incident involving Bulldog Lachie McNeil, who sustained delayed concussion symptoms following the clash last Thursday at the SCG.

Rampe's actions were graded as careless conduct, high impact and high contact by the MRO, resulting in the two-game suspension.

Yet Rampe's legal team, led by Duncan Miller, argued that the defender had no intention to make contact with the Bulldog, stating instead that contact was initiated by McNeil and that Rampe should not be penalised for simply bracing for impact.

And after a brief deliberation, the tribunal panel of Enbom, Talia Radan and former Saint Stewart Loewe found the Swans' skipper had a case, throwing out the stopper's fortnight charge.

Rampe is now free to feature in Sydney's scheduled fixtures against Fremantle and Essendon ahead of the club's Round 21 clash with rivals GWS.

 

Published by
Mitch Keating