Carlton’s finals hopes have obtained an enormous increase after captain Patrick Cripps had his two-match suspension overturned on the AFL Tribunal Appeals Board.
Key factors:
- Carlton star Patrick Cripps has had his suspension overturned
- Cripps is free to play towards Melbourne on Saturday
- Appeals Board chairperson Murray Kellam mentioned the findings of the preliminary listening to on Tuesday had been unreasonable
Cripps was unsuccessful in overturning a tough conduct cost on the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday evening, and his listening to on the Appeals Board on Thursday evening loomed as his closing hope of getting his two-match suspension squashed.
The 27-year-old’s airborne collision, which left Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee with concussion, was graded as careless, excessive affect and excessive contact.
Christopher Townshend QC, appearing for Cripps, argued that there was a “denial of pure justice” as a result of AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson failed to offer instructions to the jury on Tuesday evening earlier than they retired to think about their verdict.
Townshend mentioned Gleeson himself had created confusion by successfully stating Cripps’ motion was a bump.
“Within the absence of even Mr Cripps being requested if he wished to bump his opponent … the chairperson later postures, ‘Are you able to bump and contest on the identical time?'” Townshend mentioned.
“(The jury was informed to think about a) thesis that the chairperson has steered fairly than what the proof has proven.
“A good examination of the entire of the proof couldn’t help clear satisfaction that the participant was doing one thing apart from an incident the place each gamers had eyes for the ball, and each gamers contested the ball, as discovered by the Tribunal.
“We are saying for the foregoing causes the Tribunal’s choice is contaminated by error and so unreasonable that it requires reversing.”
AFL counsel Nicholas Pane mentioned a participant may contest along with his eyes on the ball however nonetheless be within the motion of bumping.
Chair Murray Kellam and jurors Richard Loveridge and Stephen Jurica deliberated for one hour and 45 minutes earlier than deciding in favour of Cripps.
It means Cripps is free to play in crunch video games towards Melbourne and Collingwood within the closing two rounds.
Presently seventh on the ladder with a 12-8 document, the Blues might want to win one of many two matches to ensure the membership’s first finals spot since 2013.
If Carlton lose each matches, they might want to depend on different outcomes to be able to keep inside the highest eight.
