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Thursday May 17, 2012

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Matthew Lloyd faces four-week ban

Posted by: By Ben Wise | 29 August, 2009 - 7:54 PM


ABOVE: With thanks to Channel 10, watch Matthew Lloyd's hit on Brad Sewell. Let us know below if you think he should be suspended for it.

TUESDAY: Essendon's Matthew Lloyd will not play in the AFL finals this year and is likely to miss the start of the next season - if he decides to play on.

The AFL confirmed Essendon had opted not to fight the four-week ban offered for an early guilty plea for his hit on Brad Sewell, which broke the Hawthorn midfielder's eye socket and fractured his cheekbone.

In a further blow for Essendon, ruckman Paddy Ryder and Sam Lonergan have also accepted one-week bans for striking during Saturday's fiery clash. The pair will miss the Bombers' elimination final aginst Adelaide on Friday night.

MONDAY: Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd will be offered a four-week suspension for his hit on Hawthorn's Brad Sewell and the club has also been dealt further blows with Paddy Ryder and Sam Lonergan charged.

"Essendon officials will meet this afternoon to decide if they will contest any of the three suspensions handed down by the AFL Tribunal in the wake of Saturday's clash with Hawthorn," said Essendon in a statement.

"Matthew Lloyd will be sidelined for four weeks if he pleads guilty to a rough conduct charge while Patrick Ryder and Sam Lonergan will miss one match each with an early plea after being charged with striking."
 
"Five Essendon players were also charged with engaing in a melee."

The AFL Match Review Panel's finding on the Lloyd hit were: "The incident was assessed as reckless conduct (two points), severe impact (four points) and high contact (two points). This is a total of eight activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Five offence, drawing 550 demerit points and a five-match sanction. He has an existing bad record of one match suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty by 10 per cent to 605 demerit points and a six-match sanction. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 453.75 points and a four-match sanction."

SUNDAY UPDATE: Hawthorn has confirmed bad news regarding its star midfielder Brad Sewell and ruckman Max Bailey.

"Bailey has ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee and will require a full reconstruction and Sewell has suffered a fractured cheekbone and eye socket," said the Hawks in a statement.

SATURDAY: Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd has been reported for his heavy bump on Hawthorn midfielder Brad Sewell in the Bombers' win on Saturday.

Lloyd, who was returning to the side after an injury layoff, ran from the edge of the centre square early in the third term to attack a ball in dispute which Sewell reached first.

The hit knocked Sewell out cold and reduced the Hawks to having 20 fit men on the field as they tried to defend a 22-point half-time lead – ruckman Max Bailey having already succumbed to a serious knee injury in the first term.

Players from both sides engaged in a wild, 80s-style melee after the incident – already being compared with the bump on Richmond's Ben Cousins which cost Hawks forward Lance Franklin a two-week suspension and forced him out of the do-or-die clash against the Bombers.

After Lloyd's bump the Bombers ran rampant in the second half to run out victors by 17 points.

Sewell took no further part in the game after being crunched but he and Lloyd shook hands at the conclusion. Hawthorn's premiership defence is now over and the Bombers face Adelaide in an elimination final at AAMI Stadium, likely to be played next Friday night.

Aside from the Lloyd incident, the Bombers will also be sweating on the Match Review Panel's analysis of other 'spot-fires' in the game, with Sam Lonergan and Paddy Ryder appearing to land punches on Luke Hodge.

Plenty of actions from Hawthorn players – now in the off-season – will also be scrutinised.

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.


Kennett's Friday morning tirade

Tonight's the night for 'suspended' Buddy - listen live to result Hawthorn's appeal over Lance Franklin's two-match ban for a hip and shoulder has been thrown out and Jeff Kennett said the club will not pursue the 'Dunkley' method. Read more and listen to Kennett's vitriolic spray for the AFL rule-makers.

Blog comments Your Say

  • So Dermot Brereton rang and congratulated Lloyd on taking out Brad Sewell. What a sick, and pathetic act! But then great thugs do think alike! Sewelly's a real champ and will come back even better in 2010. Lloyd will deservedly retire in disgrace.

    Tiger fan Tuesday 1 September, 2009 - 11:11 PM

  • Remember, it wasn't one team that started this, for there to be a rivalry this big both teams would have committed the crime. Not just one team is responsible for it. If Hawthorn had a team that wasn't full of injuries & was able to make it to the grand final, Sewell would have missed it due to the injuries. Four weeks is fair.

    Emily Tuesday 1 September, 2009 - 8:25 PM

  • Lloyd's cowardly hit on Brad Sewell was the act of a desperate football hack and intended purely to take the extremely talented and brave Hawk midfielder out of the game. I hope Sewelly takes civil action on Loyd, but then he is too nice a guy to do this.

    Jeff Tuesday 1 September, 2009 - 12:42 AM

  • Boo Hoo Matthew Knights, hurt by Campbell Brown calling Lloyd a sniper...who's the one with the fractured face? Do the crime and being called a name is the very least you can expect!

    sandi Monday 31 August, 2009 - 9:21 PM

  • What goes around comes around....
    Hawthorn started this stuff in the eighties; with everyone!

    Lee Mathews took it to Brisbane later...
    A bunch of hypocritical Fairies!!

    brad Monday 31 August, 2009 - 8:27 PM

  • Where is the AFL's sense of theatre? Let Lloyd off and lets what Jeff Kennett & Jim from Ballarat do next!

    jon in Knoxfield Monday 31 August, 2009 - 5:43 PM

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