Source: Fox Sports
Harley Reid’s two-match ban has been upheld. He will miss against North Melbourne and Essendon.
Reasons:
Reid sensibly acknowledged his tackle on Darcy Wilson was dangerous, involved excessive force and that it had the potential to cause Wilson a head or neck injury.
Reid submitted that when his tackle is compared to four dangerous tackles by other players, the impact of his tackle ought to be classified as medium rather than high.
He also pointed to other matters, including the fact Wilson was uninjured in the tackle. Got up quickly. His arms were not pinned and parts of his body made contact with the ground before his head hit the ground.
There is no dispute that Wilson is not injured in the tackle.
The absence of injury is one matter that we must consider in assessing the impact. We must also consider the potential that Reid’s dangerous tackle had the potential cause injury to Wilson.
We consider that there was considerable potential for injury. We agree Reid is a young first year player who was trying to do his best, but his tackle was ill judged. It was a poorly executed tackle.
It was quite a unique tackle. A tackle of a very different kind to the four examples of dangerous tackles that Reid relied upon.
We accept the AFL submission that the nature of the tackle created the considerable potential for injury to Wilson.
Excessive and substantial force was used by Reid to lift, rotate and sling Wilson backwards to the ground.
The AFL’s description of the tackle, as involving lifting upending and slinging, is accurate.
Those features made Wilson vulnerable.
His arms were free, but he was thrown backwards with such excessive force that there was no or little time for him to try to protect his head.
It is lucky that he landed in the way he did. Had he landed differently, then the outcome for Wilson could have been a terrible head or neck injury.
We are satisfied that the rough conduct charge has been correctly classified.