Footy veteran cops monster ban after sending rival to hospital with nasty bump
- Luke Parker has been suspended for six weeks
- He hospitalized a rival VFL player with a lump
- Parker and Sydney pleaded guilty during the hearing
Veteran Sydney midfielder Luke Parker will serve a six-week ban for the heavy blow in a VFL match that left opponent Josh Smith in hospital.
Parker has not played AFL football for the Swans this season and the suspension means he will not return to their senior team until well into July at the earliest.
He was referred straight to the tribunal following the tough match last Friday evening while playing for the Swans reserve side.
Sydney pleaded guilty but instead argued against the severity of his sentence during Tuesday night’s lengthy hearing.
Smith was hospitalized after Parker ran past the ball and the incident was assessed as careless conduct, serious impact and high contact.
Luke Parker has been handed a monster six-match ban for a big knock against a VFL rival
The footy veteran sent Josh Smith to hospital after this bump
Swans lawyer Nick Kidd used GPS data to claim Parker was barely at running speed when he bumped into Smith, to block him from the next match.
He also used a series of still images from the video footage to claim that Smith’s injuries were the result of an accidental clash of heads immediately after Parker punched him.
According to the medical report, Smith has a concussion and facial fractures and will require surgery.
He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
In his evidence, Parker said he had contacted Smith to apologize and check on his welfare.
“I didn’t mean to make contact with his head,” Parker said.
But VFL lawyer Morgan McLay argued Parker breached his duty of care to Smith in the incident and deserved a six-week ban.
‘There is a clear need to protect the head. “Everyone’s worst fears have come true,” McLay said of Smith’s injuries.
The Swans star will not feature for his team until mid-July at the earliest
Parker has been unable to return to the Sydney AFL squad since recovering from injury a month ago.
He has made 283 appearances for the Swans and at the tribunal hearing they argued Parker deserved a lesser sentence due to his good disciplinary record.
“If you look at it really closely, he was going to block a player and guide a player coming through and he got it wrong,” Swans coach John Longmire said earlier on Tuesday.
‘He started blocking and didn’t actually move, he stood still at the point of contact. He didn’t go high, unfortunately it didn’t turn out the way he intended.’