Double trouble for Magpies - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Double trouble for Magpies

By Guy Hand 13/04/2009 08:19:33 PM Comments (0)

Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell and defender Heath Shaw are both facing likely suspensions after the Magpies copped a double dose of bad news from the AFL match review panel.

Shaw has been ordered to face the tribunal on Tuesday night, denied the opportunity of submitting an early guilty plea, after being charged with deliberately making contact with an umpire.

Maxwell, charged with rough conduct on Geelong's Steve Johnson last Thursday night, is one of three players offered two-game suspensions.

The other two are Hawthorn defender Campbell Brown, charged with rough conduct over a high bump on North Melbourne's Daniel Wells, and Port Adelaide defender Peter Burgoyne, charged with kneeing Melbourne's Aaron Davey.

The Power face a potential double loss, with skipper Domenic Cassisi facing a one-match ban for striking Melbourne's Lynden Dunn.

Shaw's penalty will be at the discretion of the tribunal, after he was booked for touching the arm of umpire Michael Vozzo as he protested a decision on Thursday night.

Former umpire Darren Goldspink has already publicly called for the running defender to be hit with a suspension to reinforce the message that it is not acceptable for players to touch umpires.

The incident provides another test case following the AFL's warning to all clubs before the season began that rules against umpire contact would be strictly enforced.

Sydney co-captain Brett Kirk faced the tribunal last week, but escaped with a reprimand after pleading guilty to recklessly making contact with an umpire.

But given Shaw's contact was deemed intentional, it seems unlikely he will be able to avoid a suspension.

Maxwell was charged with intentional rough conduct against Johnson during the second quarter of Thursday night's clash.

While the contact was deemed to be of low impact and to the body, rather than high, Maxwell's prior record counted against him.

The tough defender has already had one recent escape this year, when he had a four-game ban overturned on appeal during the pre-season.

But a previous one-game suspension means that Maxwell will receive a two-match sanction even if he offers an early guilty plea on this occasion.

Without the penalty loading he could have had the penalty reduced to one match.

The potential loss of two defenders is a major worry for the Magpies.

They are struggling with only one win, against Melbourne, from the first three rounds and they face an in-form Brisbane side at the Gabba on Friday night.

Brown and Burgoyne were also both hurt by their prior records.

Both players could also have had their bans reduced to one game with an early guilty plea if not for penalty loadings for previous offences.

In contrast, Cassisi's good record worked in his favour.

He would have been facing a two-game ban if not for a penalty reduction for a clean record over the past five years, which means he can reduce the sanction to one match with an early plea.

Several players were also fined, including West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr and St Kilda's Farren Ray for wrestling.

Sydney's Jarrad McVeigh was hit hardest - a $2,850 fine for making negligent contact with an umpire during his side's weekend loss to Brisbane.

Geelong's Steve Johnson can accept a $900 fine if he makes an early guilty plea over a charge of pinching Collingwood defender Harry O'Brien's face.

All players except Shaw have until 11am (AEST) Tuesday to decide whether to contest the charges at the tribunal.

But St Kilda breathed a sigh of relief after star midfielder Nick Dal Santo was cleared of striking and wrestling charges, forward Justin Koschitzke escaped sanction over an incident involving West Coast opponent Eric Mackenzie, while ruckman Steven King was offered a reprimand on a striking count.

Match day reports on Melbourne's Colin Sylvia, Essendon's David Hille and West Coast's Tyson Stenglein were thrown out.

The match review panel will also sit on Tuesday to review the Western Bulldogs-Richmond game played on Easter Monday.

Western Bulldogs tagger Liam Picken was reported by umpires during the game for striking Richmond's Brett Deledio.

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