Essendon’s medical report will be ‘Exhibit A’ for Hawthorn should the Hawks take the kicking charge against captain James Sicily to the AFL tribunal.
The players’ code was invoked on Monday morning when Essendon star Andrew McGrath said he barely felt the contact from Sicily in the opening minutes of their match on Saturday at the MCG.
Sicily was offered a one-game ban for the incident, which happened after he gave away a free to opponent Matt Guelfi.
After Guelfi kicked the first goal of the game, Sicily scuffled with several Essendon players and his foot made contact with McGrath.
But the Bombers defender said it barely registered.
“After every incident our club doctor calls us to see if there are any medical ramifications or any soreness, my report to him was that there’s nothing – I’ve got no bruise, no nothing,” McGrath told SEN on Monday.
“Hopefully that stands up in the appeal, if there is one.
“It was pretty innocuous … I didn’t even really realise that he put his foot into the back of me, which suggests how severe the kick was. Not very at all.
“But they’re stamping that out of the game and we’ll see where that lands.”
The Hawks’ captain, who was last year banned for https://www.smokinbarrelhouse.com/ three games for rough conduct, has been charged with kicking McGrath with intentional conduct, medium impact and body contact.
Essendon’s Mason Redman also faces a one-game ban after being charged with striking Hawk Jai Newcombe in an off-the-ball incident.
The contact has been deemed as intentional, high contact with low impact.
The Suns’ Malcolm Rosas Jr has been cited for headbutting Adelaide’s Max Michalanney in Gold’s Coast’s six-point win on Saturday night.
Rosas can accept a one-match suspension, with his contact ruled intentional and high, with low impact.
Six other players were charged and offered fines from Saturday’s fixtures.
With early pleas, Hawthorn’s Newcombe (forceful front-on contact, $3750), Essendon’s Todd Goldstein (striking, $2500), Greater Western Sydney’s Jack Buckley (tripping, $1250), Giant Harry Perryman (striking, $1875), Geelong’s Jhye Clark (dangerous tackle, $2500) and the Suns’ Connor Budarick (melee, $1250) can accept financial sanctions.
