The AFL tribunal’s decision to hand Richmond’s Bachar Houli a two-match ban for striking Carlton’s Jed Lamb has put the league in a tricky position.
Houli is clearly one of the game’s good guys, but Richmond must now consider whether to appeal the suspension.
Houli was found guilty of striking Carlton’s Jed Lamb in an incident assessed as intentional conduct with high impact to the head by the match review panel that left the Blues forward out cold on the MCG turf.
Despite dismissing Houli’s attempt to argue the incident was careless instead of intentional conduct, the tribunal jury – David Neitz, Hamish McIntosh and Wayne Henwood – caused an outcry when it handed down the two-game sanction, citing his exemplary character.
References from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – via a transcript of a speech given at a function at Punt Road on Monday – and Monash University academic and Channel 10 presenter Waleed Aly were a key part of the jury’s penalty deliberations.
Much to the consternation of AFL match review panel member Nathan Burke.
“I would probably much prefer if you just looked purely at the incident and graded it on that,” Burke told Fox Sports News.
“If you start bringing in ‘this bloke’s a good bloke, this bloke’s not a good bloke’, who are we to actually judge who is a good bloke and who isn’t in the first place?
“And then what we end up with are disparate sentences. If somebody goes in next week and does exactly the same thing, but doesn’t know Waleed Aly, doesn’t know the Prime Minister, does that mean they get three or four weeks?
“That’s potentially where the issue lies.”
The case was referred directly to the tribunal under the MRP guidelines, but the final sanction is the same as it would have been if it had been assessed as careless conduct with high impact to the head – three games down to two with an early plea.
While appearing to get off lightly, there is also some chance that Richmond will appeal the verdict on Houli’s behalf.
The devout Muslim was clearly disappointed by the finding after stating in his evidence, “I’ve never, ever, intended to hurt anyone – it’s part of my practise of my religion. I’m a peaceful person.”
He refused to speak to gathered journalists as he left the hearing.
The 29-year-old has played 162 AFL games over 11 seasons and eight years as a junior without being suspended. His only disciplinary blemish was a fine for wrestling Greater Western Sydney’s Rhys Palmer in 2014.
He will miss games against Port Adelaide and St Kilda unless he successfully appeals the verdict.
In the other case heard on Tuesday night, West Coast’s Will Schofield was found not guilty of striking Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver.
Schofield risked a two-match ban if unsuccessful after he was charged with striking Oliver – who was accused of taking a dive – in an incident assessed as intentional conduct with low impact to the head.
The Eagles successfully argued the impact was negligent and Schofield was found not guilty.