AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) advises the independent Tribunal sat last night, Wednesday 8 January, to hear three charges from Round 12 of the 2019/20 TIO NTFL senior games.
The charge against Darby Lockhart, runner for Wanderers Football Club, was not heard by the Tribunal as previously advised, as Lockhart withdrew his challenge before the sitting so will serve a one-match penalty.
Men's Premier League
Beau O'Connell, of Wanderers Football Club, appeared before the Tribunal to answer the charge of striking player number 17 from St Mary’s Football Club in the fourth quarter of the TIO NTFL Men’s Premier League match between St Mary’s and Wanderers at TIO Stadium on Friday 3 January 2020.
Initially, O'Connell did not enter a plea.
Upon review of the evidence, the Tribunal amended the grading of the charge from intentional conduct, low impact and high contact to intentional conduct, low impact and contact to the body.
O'Connell pleaded guilty to the amended charge and was issued with a reprimand.
Brenton Motlop, of Wanderers Football Club, appeared before the Tribunal to answer the charge of charging player number 17 from St Mary’s Football Club in the fourth quarter of the TIO NTFL Men’s Premier League match between St Mary’s and Wanderers at TIO Stadium on Friday 3 January 2020.
Initially, Motlop did not enter a plea.
Upon review of the evidence, the Tribunal amended the grading of the charge from intentional conduct, low impact and high contact to intentional conduct, low impact and contact to the body.
Motlop pleaded guilty to the amended charge and was issued with a reprimand.
Men's Division 2
Travis Mills, of St Mary's Football Club, appeared before the Tribunal to answer the charge of prohibited contact on player number 10 from University Rats Football Club after the final siren of the TIO NTFL Men’s Division 2 match between St Mary’s and Uni Rats at TIO Oval 2 on Sunday 5 January 2020.
Upon review of the evidence, the Tribunal asserted that the umpire's grading of the charge as intentional conduct, high impact and high contact was correct, and subsequently, Mills pleaded guilty.
The Tribunal then issued Mills with a three-match suspension and a further one-match which is wholly suspended. The penalty is in-line with the State and Territory Tribunal Guidelines' classifiable offences matrix.
Appeals Process
Clubs and/or the Controlling Body have until 5pm Thursday 9 January to lodge an appeal in writing to the AFLNT Football Operations team. The grounds for appeal under the 2019 State and Territory Tribunal Guidelines are as follows:
4.3 Grounds for Appeal
Except where otherwise determined by the Controlling Body, a Person found guilty of a Reportable Offence by the Tribunal, or the Controlling Body may only appeal to the Appeal Board in respect of a decision made by the Tribunal under these Guidelines on one or more of the following grounds:
(a) that there was an error of law;
(b) that the decision was so unreasonable that no Tribunal acting reasonably could have come to that decision having regard to the evidence before it;
(c) the classification of the level of the offence was manifestly excessive or inadequate; or
(d) that the sanction imposed was manifestly excessive or inadequate.
