The AFL Tribunal upheld Jacob van Rooyen's three-game suspension
The Australian Football League (AFL) tribunal upheld the three-game suspension of Melbourne forward Jacob van Rooyen for striking Port Adelaide defender Alir Alir. The club attempted to have the suspension overturned or reduced, but the tribunal rejected those arguments, according to ABC News Australia.
The incident occurred Saturday evening at Adelaide Oval during a scramble for the ball. Van Rooyen struck Alir in the head with his hand, causing the defender to suffer a concussion and leave the field. The incident was classified as a reckless act with serious consequences.
The hearing lasted 90 minutes. Van Rooyen stated that he was trying to play the ball, while Melbourne insisted that his actions were not reckless. Tribunal Chair Jeff Gleason also rejected the club’s motion to hear testimony from a biomechanist.
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The tribunal’s decision states that van Rooyen’s left-arm movement was a forceful strike, not a mere collision with an opponent’s arm. The panel also concluded that the player had time to react upon seeing Alir and could have adjusted the position of his arms to avoid actions that could reasonably be anticipated to cause a violation.
Van Rooyen, who has scored 42 goals in 22 games this season, will miss the final game of the regular season against the Western Bulldogs. For him to play again this season, the fifth-place Melbourne team must win two games in the finals series.
