Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has staunchly defended backman Ty Gallop following his three-game suspension.
Fagan understood why the sanction had to be handed down but was frustrated by the character assassination of a second-year player.
“I'm okay with the tribunal decision; it was probably on the more severe side of what I thought they could do, but that's not the point,” Fagan said.
“It wasn't a good look, so he had to pay some sort of a price for that. I suppose for me though I'm more concerned about Ty Gallop as a person.
“That act is not a true reflection of him as a person. It was a little bit surprising, to be honest, but having spoken to him, there was a reason he reacted like that which he expressed in the tribunal.
“That doesn't make it right, but it makes me understand, and hopefully the rest of the footy world understands.”
An argument the Brisbane legal counsel used was that Gallop's action of slamming Mitch Georgiades into the turf was retaliatory as his injured thumb was grabbed.
Fagan said the pair had a conversation following the incident and part of his learning will be managing his emotions as he plays through soreness.
“The discussion around the whole issue, some people who commented on it made him sound like some heinous criminal that did the worst thing possible which is hard for a young man to take,” Fagan said.
“I reassured him that we have great respect for him and that was an act that was completely out of character and he'll learn from that. I'm just concerned people don't think poorly of him because he's an outstanding person he just made a mistake.”
Fagan stopped short of stating how Gallop would be replaced after becoming a mainstay of the back seven, but he hinted Oscar Allen could be a potential option.
“He's in the mix this week, he's in our discussions,” Fagan said of Allen.
“He's a bloke who not only can he play forward but he has played in defence throughout his career.”
