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Tuesday February 9, 2010

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Lance Franklin's appeal thrown out

Posted by: By Ben Wise, 3AW Football | 26 August, 2009 - 7:50 AM


Lance Franklin will not play in Hawthorn's cut-throat round 22 clash with Essendon after the AFL Appeals Board dismissed the Hawks' appeal against a two-match ban for the forward's hip and shoulder on Richmond's Ben Cousins last weekend.

After over two hours of submissions from Hawthorn it took just five minutes for the appeal to be thrown out.

"I think it all comes back to the way the case was handled on Tuesday night," said 3AW Football's Tribunal Expert Graeme Bond. "Hawthorn possibly didn't explore a number of avenues then which they could have. They tried to raise them tonight but tonight wasn't a rehearing of the case - they couldn't introduce new evidence or a new line of defence tonight."

"Had they have used that evidence on Tuesday they might have won."

Hawthorn met on Friday morning to discuss whether they would go down the same road the Sydney Swans did in 1996 when they obtained a Supreme Court injunction to put then defender Andrew Dunkley's ban for striking Essendon's James Hird on hold until after the decider against North Melbourne.

However, Hawks President Jeff Kennett phoned 3AW Breakfast to confirm no further action will be taken - and Franklin will not play.

Kennett made his anger clear over Franklin being found guilty and is not happy with the way footy is headed in light of Franklin's ban for what many purists of the game consider to be the 'classic' hip and shoulder - Franklin did not leap at Cousins and had his elbow tucked in only to catch the Tiger on the chin as a result of their significant height difference.

"We have given it a lot of thought overnight I can assure you but we have decided not to take it to the Supreme Court," Kennett told 3AW. "Although we feel very strogly about the issue and about Buddy's innocence we feel it would be churlish ... I know of no other rule in the AFL where a player's actions have been judged and deemed to be reasonable but he is still supended from playing."

However, it is clear the AFL will now be forever harsh on any contact involving a player's head.

"I say to all those players over six foot, for goodness sake - don't bump a player under six foot tall," added Kennett. "Buddy Franklin might be the only player ever suspended by this rule because of this rule because it's so absoulutely ridiculous."

The loss of 'Buddy' is a major blow for the Hawks, already without fellow tall forward Jarryd Roughead and last year's finals hero, Mark Williams - both players injured.

Making matters worse for Hawthorn is the fact Essendon is regaining ruckman Paddy Ryder and skipper Matthew Loyd, both men important players in the Bombers' 44-point win over the Hawks back in May.

The winner of Saturday's clash at the MCG - which you can hear live coverage of on 3AW Football from 12pm - will claim the last spot in the AFL's top-eight ahead of the final series.

Bombers into the finals

Michael Hurley Essendon has booked a finals berth by defeating Hawthorn in a gripping encounter had all the trademarks of a final. The Bombers erased a half-time deficit after being sparked into action by a massive Matthew Lloyd bump. Read more


Hawks have regrets over defence

Mark Evans and Gary O'Donnell Hawthorn Football Manager Mark Evans tells 3AW Football the club has regrets how they defended the Lance Franklin tribunal case and says the Hawks have taken action since the suspension. Also, Essendon Assistant Coach Gary O'Donnell tells 3AW Michael Hurley will be the next Jonathan Brown.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Demetriou you are an irritating, patronising little man. How many times did you have to say "Nee-yul" in that woman-ish tone.
    You know as well as everyone else that Buddy's suspension was a crock but you won't change anything simply because you are a stubborn fool and want to show how you can do anything you want.
    Moron.

    Simmo Wednesday 2 September, 2009 - 10:00 AM

  • Andrew D, you are a fool mate, this is a mans game a contact sport not netball. You are ruining a fantastic spectacle. Please get out before you #### it up completely.
    Oh and by the way I got it the first time that you were talking to Neil, you don't have to repeat the name in EVERY answer you make.

    Frank of Perth Saturday 29 August, 2009 - 8:16 PM

  • Last night marked the end of the great Australian game of Football that I was brought up on. No more will there be the big bumps or the hard tackles. The game is now stuffed and full of running athletes who have to be taught to kick, hand pass and even bounce the ball. I'll be sticking to local football where the hard stuff (not dirty) is allowed to happen and bumps are allowed.
    To all footy coaches: you'd better start coaching you players to just run after opponents and put them off by saying 'Boo'. The game is stuffed!
    It is a farce. Ive had enough of the bosses wrecking the game with bullsh%t rule changes.
    Next week the finals will be here and night football will begin! It's a joke!!!

    That's my 20 cents worth. Have a great day.

    Moorey Friday 28 August, 2009 - 4:23 PM

  • Hard hitting questions there Neil. Christ, does no one go hard at Vlad?

    The AFL wouldn't change a rule because of one incident? The rush behind rule, anyone?

    Give me 10 minutes worth of questions at him and he'll be cowering within 5.

    gbh Friday 28 August, 2009 - 2:17 PM

  • Bloody footbrawl thugs...... enough reason to not have ANY inerest in footy.

    Matt Wednesday 26 August, 2009 - 11:45 PM

  • Buddy, change your name to Adam Goodes. Not only will the umpires and the Tribunal turn a blind-eye, they'll give you a Brownlow for your trouble.

    not Goodes! Wednesday 26 August, 2009 - 11:17 AM

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