Barely a week removed from receiving the maximum amount of coaches' votes for a stellar performance against Port Adelaide, North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben has found himself in hot water for an off-the-ball incident in his side's shock loss to the West Coast Eagles on Sunday.
After Elliott Yeo steered home a magnificent set shot, for which Comben was manning the mark, Eagles firebrand Harley Reid made a beeline for the intercepting defender. As the former number one draft pick approached, Comben raised his forearm, striking Reid in the throat.
The incident started a melee, with Eagles players rushing to the defence of the popular Reid, who enjoyed one of the best performances of his young career.
Conventional wisdom would suggest Comben is set to miss at least the Roos next two fixtures, with a grading of intentional conduct, medium impact and high contact carrying with it a two-week ban. If Michael Christian deems the force more or less severe than medium impact, however, the duration of the ban will be adjusted accordingly.
Charlie Comben and Harley Reid were involved in this incident.#AFLEaglesNorth pic.twitter.com/g4LX8dLlJA
— AFL (@AFL) March 22, 2026
Fellow defender Griffin Logue was ruled out in the early stages of the contest with a thigh complaint, and with Comben now destined for a stint on the pine, an already thin backline will be even more makeshift than usual. The oft-maligned Toby Pink will be the only recognised key defender from yesterday's match to be available for selection in the foreseeable future.
The enforced unavailability of two serviceable defenders worsened an already dirty day for Alastair Clarkson's men, who saw any momentum and good will garnered from their first-up demolition of Port Adelaide fall by the wayside by way of choking a five-goal buffer to the cellar-dwelling Eagles.
