Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker’s AFL season is over after he accepted his two-game ban for rough conduct on GWS star Josh Kelly.
Walker has confirmed he won’t challenge his punishment for a sling tackle which knocked out Kelly during Saturday’s game in Canberra.
The tackle was initially rewarded with holding the ball but the decision was reversed and Walker was penalised for a dangerous tackle when Kelly’s injury became apparent.
It brings a frustrating year to an end for Walker, whose side will miss the finals this season after being grand-finalists last year.
“I’m not going to challenge it,” Walker told Triple M Radio on Tuesday.
“It probably sums up my season. It’s been very challenging for me individually and us as a footy team.”
St Kilda veteran Nathan Brown will attempt to limit the damage when he fronts the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night over the savage bump that left Essendon’s Adam Saad concussed.
The 29-year-old was referred directly to the tribunal after he caught Saad unawares with a heavy bump late in the first term of Friday night’s clash at Etihad Stadium.
AFL match review officer Michael Christian assessed the contact as intentional conduct with high impact to the head.
With only two rounds left in the home-and-away season, Brown has almost certainly played his last game this year but will be hoping his likely ban doesn’t extend into the 2019 campaign.
Saints coach Alan Richardson defended Brown on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday, saying the act was out of character and gave an insight into the club’s tribunal strategy.
“The debate will be intentional versus (careless),” Richardson said.
“I know what his intent was – it wasn’t to hurt someone.
“He didn’t run front on, he’s come from the side to check him, he’s absolutely done what he thought was the right thing to do but the timing was out.
“I think we’ve got to be really clear on what his intent was.”