Carlton needed to use the Willie Rioli defense in a bid to free skipper Patrick Cripps to play in this weekend’s must-win clash with Melbourne, according to Jonathan Brown.
Like Cripps, Willie Rioli was banned for his mid-air collision with Sun Matt Rowell as the Eagle’s impact sent the midfielder crashing into the turf.
Rioli was given a one-match ban for the heavy bump, but was successful in overturning the suspension at the court by arguing his actions were not “unreasonable”.
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Cripps has been hit with a two-match ban for his similar action that left Lion Callum Ah Chee concussed on the Gabba turf.
Brown believes a “precedence” was set in Round 1 – with the difference being Cripps’ has been graded as high impact and not medium like Rioli’s.
“The end of the day, the precedence has been set for my belief when Willie Rioli was let off with Matty Rowell in Round 1. I don’t think there’s been a rule change,” Brown said On the Couch.
“To me, it looked like Willie Rioli was later (in making contact).
“Yes, you can argue that it was a marking contest however it was an aerial contest. One was in play, one was a marking contest.
Longmuir confident yet coy on Freo | 03:48
“They were both scenarios where the player’s had to leave the ground. I don’t think Patty Cripps could do much. I actually think that (Rioli’s) looks worse and was let off.”
Fellow panelist Nick Riewoldt agreed that the Blues needed to use Rioli’s appeal as the basis for their challenge, should they decide to make one by 11am AEST on Tuesday.
“Whether you are jumping in the air in a marking contest or to intercept the ball from a handball is irrelevant,” he said as Brown added: “It should be irrelevant.”
“So they walk in (to the court), you press play on the Willie Rioli tape and you walk out five minutes later – that’s how it should go down,” Riewoldt said.
Brown felt Rioli’s argument that his conduct was “not unreasonable” should apply to Cripps as well.
“The argument for Willie Rioli (was) he couldn’t reasonably expect contact in that situation and obviously had to brace – but so did Patty Cripps.”
Fans were shocked back in Round 1 when Rioli escaped sanction for the hit on Rowell, with some calling on the Eagle to “buy a Lotto ticket”.
Koch statement awkward for Hinkley? | 01:36
Gerard Whateley said the Blues were in the process of preparing for an appeal on Monday night, but didn’t think the Rioli comparison was as “cookie cutter” as some believed.
“First they have to show it’s not a bump. The second part is there an alternative?” he said.
AFL360 co-host Mark Robinson agreed with coach Michael Voss that it was a “split second decision” for Cripps.
“My flinch reaction was: ‘You’re gone Patrick Cripps’ … but I said the same with Willie Rioli,” he said.
“We were gobsmacked at the time they appealed and got off. I don’t think the court can suspend him if they put up the Rioli (vision).
“But my gut feels is you can’t have that in our sport anymore.
Feet rebound from cap scandal | 02:10
“He didn’t mean to do it – but what’s more important? He didn’t mean to do it or the health and safety of Ah Chee?”
On the Couch host Garry Lyon believes Cripps’ actions are worthy of suspension, claiming it was “not a great surprise” the Match Review handed down a two-game ban on Monday.
“It’s a hold your breath moment,” he said.
“I don’t think in this state that we are in and the game we’ve got, if that goes unpunished, then we are kidding ourselves.”
Carlton’s finals hopes have been dealt a huge blow after Captain Patrick Cripps was handed a two-match ban for his high bump on Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee.
Key points:
Carlton have until 11am Tuesday to challenge Patrick Cripps’s two-game ban over a high bump that caused a Brisbane player to leave the field with concussion
The incident was judged to be careless conduct, high-contact/high-impact
Cripps will miss the rest of the home-and-away season if the ban is upheld
Cripps caught Ah Chee high in the second quarter after jumping in the air to contest a loose ball.
That hit concussed Ah Chee, who was subbed out of the game.
The AFL’s match review officer graded the rough conduct incident as careless conduct, high contact and high impact, drawing a two-match ban.
If Carlton accepts the decision — or are unsuccessful in overturning it — Cripps will miss the club’s challenging last two regular season games against Melbourne and Collingwood.
The Blues (12-8) are currently seventh, but two losses in the final two rounds could dump them out of the finals.
After Sunday’s 33-point loss to Brisbane, Carlton coach Michael Voss mounted a spirited defense of Cripps.
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“I thought it was a good answer,” Voss said.
“The umpire probably told the story, didn’t he? He didn’t pay a free kick, did he?
“From what I’ve seen, the arms were outstretched and it was a pretty even contest.
“If we are asking players to make micro-second decisions, I don’t know whether the game enables that. I really don’t.”
Voss said Ah Chee failing to play out the game should not be a factor in any potential sanctioning of Cripps.
Callum Ah Chee was forced out of Sunday’s game with concussion.(Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
“I don’t think he is there to cradle the person to the ground, is he?” Voss said.
“It was unfortunate. We hope he is OK. Clearly, we have empathy, in terms of that side of things, but we’ve also got to respect that the game is going to be evenly contested, and that it looked like an even contest take.”
Star West Coast midfielder Tim Kelly was offered a one-match ban for his dangerous tackle on Adelaide’s Sam Berry.
Sydney’s Callum Mills and North Melbourne’s Curtis Taylor can each accept $1,000 fines if they plead guilty to wrestling charges.
Gold Coast’s leadership group has made an impassioned plea for out-of-contract young star Izak Rankine to reject Adelaide’s advances and remain a Sun.
News Corp revealed last week that the Crows were making a major play for Rankine, offering him a five-year deal worth as much as $800,000 per season to return to his home state.
Gold Coast is highly unlikely to match that financial offer and will instead rely on convincing him that his best chance of realizing his potential is at the Suns, while still being willing to pay him about $650,000 a year.
Adelaide is increasingly confident Rankine will request a trade to play for Matthew Nicks’ side, but that wouldn’t come until after Gold Coast’s season ends.
Suns chairman Tony Cochrane told News Corp on Monday they would do “all we can to retain him”.
“I think the club has proven over four years we’re doing everything possible to keep him there and obviously he’s a required player,” Cochrane said.
Izak Rankine is weighing up a five-year offer from the Crows. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“We’ve got a great association and relationship with Izak, as everyone has around the club. He’s bought a house up here, he’s very much settled in up here, so that’s just our position for the moment.
“He’s an incredibly popular person around the club. I know first-hand how much time and effort people like (coach) Stuart Dew have put into him and, importantly, I know how highly Stuart rates him.
“He’s got that message loud and clear at the Gold Coast footy club.”
Co-captain Touk Miller also made it clear that convincing the “special” small forward to stay was a top priority, having already re-signed Ben King, Jack Lukosius, Ben Ainsworth, Elijah Hollands and Mac Andrew this year.
“I know there’s a lot of speculation around him and his future, but for us we really want him to be at this club. He’s a special person, a special player,” Miller said.
“We’ve gone to him and had a few chats about how much he means to us and means to the club, so whether that plays a part in the decision, hopefully it does.
Stay or go? Izak Rankine has a big call to make on his playing future. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“As a leadership group; that’s part of what you have to do. This club wants success, and he can be a key part of that.”
Miller sympathized with Rankine’s situation as he weighs up a career- and life-changing decision, especially with the Suns looking to have turned the corner as a club.
“I know speculation like that can make it really hard around the club and can make things awkward and nervous, but we want him to feel as comfortable as possible, feel like he can still be himself and play his best footy,” he said.
“He’s human. I can say it’s not easy for him and you probably do have your head down a bit more. In saying that, we’ve still got a lot of good things out of him on game day.
“I’m not in his head, I can’t exactly say what he’s going to do, but we really want him to stay. He’s such a special part and key part to our club going forward. We’d love to have him.”
Miller was famously forthright with ex-Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch when he revealed in 2018 he was exercising his free agency rights to join Richmond after meeting with several Melbourne-based clubs.
The contest that left Brisbane Lions player Callum Ah Chee convicted will see Carlton captain Patrick Cripps sit out the home-and-away season on the sidelines, according to two former AFL stars.
Cripps launched at a contest with Ah Chee in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, collecting Ah Chee and leaving him dazed before he was eventually subbed out with concussion.
Blues coach Michael Voss mounted a defense for Cripps’ action when speaking after the 33-point loss.
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Carlton Press Conference | 06:10
“I thought it was a good answer,” he said.
“The umpire probably told the story, he didn’t pay a free kick, did he? Clearly he felt the arms were out and it was evenly contested and clearly when you have not a lot of time to adjust in those circumstances, it made for a difficult contest.
“I’m sure it’s one that’ll get looked at but from what I’ve seen the arms were outstretched and it was a pretty even contest.
“There’s microseconds in it, so if we’re asking players to make microsecond decisions, I don’t know whether the game enables that, I really don’t.”
Speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack, dual-premiership player for North Melbourne David King said Voss’ comments undersold the football IQ of Cripps, as well as the severity of the outcome for Ah Chee.
“So we’ve got the age-old argument of are we protecting the head or not – players can make decisions in microseconds, it’s what they do,” he said.
“I don’t know if that’s a microsecond decision. He’s coming in, he’s off the ground, his shoulder is tucked, he’s ready for contact. I don’t buy that. I love Vossy and I love what he’s done with Carlton, but that’s just not right.”
Co-host Ben Dixon pointed out Cripps and the Blues could argue the star was participating in a marking contest, but King wasn’t convinced.
“Mate, come on. He’s ready for contact at least a meter-and-a-half away, Cripps,” King said.
“He knows he’s going to be late, he assesses these things for a living. He knows when he’s late.
As the Bulldogs watched their final hopes fade on Saturday, there was a cruel irony in front of them.
Plus the ‘five years with a mulligan’ theory that helps explain Collingwood’s year.
The big issues from Round 21 of the 2022 AFL season analyzed in Talking Points!
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CRUEL IRONY AS FREO’S FLAG-WORTHY RECORD GROWS
Saturday was bad for the Bulldogs in 2022; their loss, combined with Richmond’s win, has them outsiders to make the eight (though Carlton’s loss to Brisbane keeps them alive).
But it might’ve been good for them in 2023 and beyond.
The irony wasn’t lost on Fox Footy’s commentary team as Rory Lobb, reportedly on his way to the Kennel in free agency on a deal of around $1.5 million over three years, dominated the game.
The Dockers key forward has always shown flashes amid an inconsistent career – this is the first season where he’s reached the 30 goal mark – his four big majors at Marvel Stadium showed him at his absolute best.
Best three kicks at goal since Plugger | 00:58
“First four kicks were goals, it looked like he could kick them from everywhere,” goalkicking legend Jason Dunstall said at three-quarter-time on Fox Footy.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon added: “If you believe everything that’s been said, the Western Bulldogs whilst they’d be shattered if they lose and Rory Lobb leads them (Fremantle) to victory, they might be rubbing their hands together, given many think he’s heading to the Western Bulldogs.
“That’s what they’re saying; he’s playing unbelievably well.”
Some have questioned whether the Bulldogs need Lobb, given they’ve got Aaron Naughton (three goals on Saturday), Josh Bruce, No.1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and father-son prodigy Sam Darcy, who made a strong debut with a team -leading eight marks and seven intercepts.
But as those intercepts suggest Darcy played in defense, where the Bulldogs desperately need tall help – while Luke Beveridge remains a Ryan Gardner stan and defends his backs when questioned, they’ve long struggled to defend one-on-ones.
So if Lobb truly is coming on board, that just adds more tall weapons to their armory.
More magnets to spin for the AFL’s most prolific magnet-spinner can’t hurt, surely?
Meanwhile for the Dockers, their win on the road was yet another example of their terrific away record in the 2022 season.
They’re the only non-Victorian team to win more than one game in Victoria this season – and they’ve won five, plus that draw against Richmond.
Taking 22 premiership points from trips to the home of footy is a big reason the Dockers are current flag contenders this season. After all, if they can win in Melbourne, they can win on the biggest day of all.
Buckley on 2018 Crows: ‘It’s harrowing’ | 06:33
AFL’S BIGGEST SHOCK SURGE COME AFTER ‘FIVE YEARS OF GOOD FOOTY’…WITH A MULLIGAN
Few experts pre-season tipped Collingwood to feature in this year’s finals series. Nathan Buckley, however, did.
And while the former coach didn’t expect his Magpies to be sitting second on the ladder with two rounds to go, he’s of the firm belief the side’s 2022 surge is a result of an exciting five-year build.
The Magpies’ destiny is in their own hands. Win two more home and away games and they’ll jump from the bottom-two last year to the top-two this year – a simply remarkable feat. Those last two games will be tough – Sydney at the SCG and Carlton at the MCG – but it seems nothing, not even the prospect of watching The Exorcist in the dark, scares this team.
While many outside the club had low expectations for the Magpies this year after a 17th-placed finish in 2021, Buckley said it was important to remember the build and list turnover in the previous three years.
“I’m going to suggest – and I’ve been involved in the footy club – but this is five years of good footy with a bad year last year,” Buckley told Fox Footy on Friday night.
“The nucleus of this side is established and we’re seeing some young players come in and play really big roles – and it’s brilliant and it’s exciting to see.
“This Collingwood side has exceeded my expectations. I thought they were 15 wins at the top end – and they’ve still got two more to go. What ‘Fly’ (McRae) has done has been amazing, but it’s been built off the nucleus of a senior core that have been there for five or six years doing this now.”
Maynard BUZZING after big hit and win | 00:47
The Magpies on Friday night claimed a remarkable 11th straight win – the first time they’ve achieved the feat since 2011 – in another tantalizingly close game.
Asked how the Pies keep winning such tight games, coach Craig McRae told reporters: “Yeah, this group’s got some belief hasn’t it? We just get ourselves into positions where at three quarter-time, there’s a few smiles on their faces – like, ‘here we go again’.
“It’s just been our story. I haven’t been part of a team like it that gets themselves in a situation that they just think: ‘Here we go, we’ll get the job done.’”
The On The Couch team last week compared the profile of Collingwood’s 2022 team to the Richmond premiership side of 2017. Like the Tigers, the Pies aren’t a strong clearance team, but are among the top-four clubs for interceptions, pressure and opposition score per inside 50.
Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy added to the comparison on Friday night.
“This could be a premiership built on pressure, like Richmond in 2017,” Healy told Fox Footy Live. “They didn’t win all the stats, but they won the flag, so there’s a lot to like about this Collingwood side.
“They are certainly in the conversation – you can’t win 11 in a row and beat last year’s premiers twice and not be a genuine chance.
“Collingwood and Sydney sit underneath most people’s favorites of Geelong and Melbourne, but we do know they are capable of beating the top sides.”
Asked if he’d reassess his message to his playing group considering the circumstances, McRae said: “We’re living in the moment of getting better. That’s always been our message. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
“You look at the stats sheet (after the Melbourne game) and there’s a lot of red in it, so we’re not naive and we’ve got a little work to do.
“We don’t know where our ceiling is at – and that’s exciting. We’re in discovery mode… and that’s an exciting place to live.”
Consider comments heard! | 00:26
‘MORE OF IT’: ‘ALL DUCK NO DINNER’ LEADS TO FOOTY FEAST
Ed Langdon was something of a sitting duck when he was swamped only moments into Friday night’s epic between Collingwood and Melbourne.
We wouldn’t normally put so much time into dissecting a wingman’s game, particularly one as consistent as Langdon. But after the former Freo man spoke on radio about Collingwood being “all duck and no dinner” and a “one trick pony”, all eyes were on Langdon.
It created one of the most memorable moments of the season – and added some spice to a game that barely needed it.
Sitting second and third on the table respectively, Melbourne and Collingwood were playing on a Friday night for the first time since 2007, so the stage was already set for a dynamite contest.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae made light of Langdon’s comments pre-game, telling Fox Footy’s Kath Loughnan he had “duck for dinner last night”.
Feet assistant Brendon Bolton told Fox Sports News’ AFL Tonight he “loved it”, while Adem Yze reiterated the respect the Demons have for the Pies.
Kennedy chaired off in charming scenes | 01:23
The 24 hours prior to the opening bounce were gripping as a football lover. All that anyone was talking about were those comments and how good the game was going to be. The AFL even bumped up their crowd estimates off the back of the comments.
And when Brayden Maynard and co. engulfed Langdon in a brutal gang tackle, we got one of the most memorable and electric moments of the season — and the game itself didn’t disappoint either.
Ex-Saints and North Melbourne star Nick Dal Santo suggested it might have been a slip of the tongue after similar language was used in a team meeting, but the triple All-Australian noted “we shouldn’t be knocking that down”.
“Our game needs more of that,” Dal Santo told Fox Footy Live after the game.
“Our game is a combative game. The people who least speak about that combativeness is the players.”
“We need to embrace the rivalry and the competitiveness. If someone is to put out a comment like that, brilliant. More of it.”
The Melbourne media department, privately, would’ve been scrambling after the comments were made. The beauty of it was being so close to bounce-down, everyone could just enjoy the ride — even Ed, who had a smile pre-game, got booed by Pies fans and performed solidly in the 7-point loss.
“All duck no dinner” made for a footy feast.
Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00
HOW DOES MCSTAY FIT INTO FEET?
Amid doubts already over whether Collingwood should be pursuing Dan McStay, just how does he fit into this Pies forward line?
The Magpies have been heavily linked to the Lions free agent on a five-year deal worth $3 million as the club looks to add another marking target in attack.
But this is a Collingwood side already firing on all cylinders, with Friday night’s epic win over Melbourne seeing it climb into second place on the ladder.
Jamie Elliott and fourth-gamer Ash Johnson were both instrumental with four goals apiece, while Brody Mihocek, who’s led the goalkicking in each of the last three seasons and is on track to do so again in 2022, chipped in two goals.
“Mihocek, Elliott and Johnson look so good — so where does Daniel McStay fit into all this?” Demons great Garry Lyon posed on Fox Footy.
Heck, if McStay was available to play for Collingwood next week, it’s hard to see him cracking into the 22, especially with star ruckman Brodie Grundy and young gun Ollie Henry already out of the side.
McStay has booted 16 goals from as many games this year and been held goalless on eight occasions, while the key forward’s 28 majors in 2021 mark his best-ever return.
Franklin kicks four in big Swans win | 02:29
There’s a possibility that Collingwood could look to play McStay in defence, although it still raises questions of whether he’s worth the $650,000-a-season price tag and at a club that’s only two years removed from a trade exodus due to salary cap pressure.
“They believe he can help the forward line like Josh Bruce has been able to help Jamarra Ugle-Hagan get better match-ups… Daniel McStay is coming to Collingwood, but it’s going to be some kind of juggling act, especially with Ollie Henry not in the side right now,” Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy.
To which Saints great Nick Riewoldt responded: “Josh Bruce is a brave, brave workhorse. Is that Daniel McStay?”
Triple-premiership winning Lion Jonathan Brown believes his former club see him as the “workhorse, down-the-line guy.”
“They like to kick it long to him, put it on his head. Hipwood and Daniher tend to be more the runners,” he said.
Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna fears Carlton’s terrific 2022 could be undone by ill-timed personnel issues, which has left Michael Voss’ team vulnerable at the most crucial stage of the season.
Michael Voss’ Blues are clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.
They’ve been inside the top eight at the end of every round so far 1 this season, but are now in serious danger of missing out on finals with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs still well placed to squeeze into the top eight. The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.
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The Blues need to win one more game to guarantee a finals spot. But they would have upset one of Melbourne (3rd) or Collingwood (4th) over the next fortnight, while the Bulldogs and Tigers have ‘easier’ final games.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s First CrackMontagna said the Blues now had their “work cut out to play finals.”
It comes amid player availability issues in the most important part of the ground for Carlton, with George Hewett (back) and Matt Kennedy (fractured jaw) sidelined due to injury, while skipper Patrick Cripps could also miss matches due to a bump on Lion Cal Ah Chee that will attract MRO scrutiny.
Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00
The Blues have been renowned for their ruthless nature at the coalface this year, but Montagna on Sunday night pointed out the Blues had lost the hardball get count in the past two games against Brisbane and Adelaide by -20 and -15 respectively.
“They’re starting to get beaten up around the footy … and without that big three in the midfield, they look vulnerable to me,” Montagna told First Crack.
“They don’t look like the same side at the start of the year that was brutal, physical, aggressive, that was just bullying and beating up on teams through the midfield.
“The ‘Voss gloss’ might’ve worn off. They’ve got their work cut out now and they’re going to have to do some soul searching to try and play finals – and it might undo what has been such a terrific season up until the last sort of four or five weeks.”
Montagna also pointed out the Blues had only been in front for 26 per cent of game time in their matches against top-eight teams this year, while dual premiership Kangaroo David King highlighted the Blues are 10-1 this year when they’ve won the clearance count by at least +5 but 3-6 when that count has been +4 or less.
Brisbane stay in the hunt for top four | 02:26
“They’re clearance-based and contest-based – and they lose their best commodity,” King said.
In a must-win game, the Lions stunned the Blues in the first term with a fierce tackling display, laying 20 tackles to 13. That prompted dominance at clearance (+11), inside 50s (+13) and on the scoreboard (+ 29).
King said the Lions’ pressure was awesome, making Carlton look “jittery” and “panicky with the ball”.
The Kangaroos great put the heat on Blues backman Adam Saad, who finished with 24 disposals and 10 interceptions, but was arguably beaten by direct Brisbane opponent Charlie Cameron, who kicked two telling goals.
King pointed to a sloppy kick-in from Saad that led to a turnover and Dayne Zorko goal during the first term.
“What is that? I mean come on. This is high-level stakes,” he said.
“That’s not AFL standard, just waltzing out like that and just trying to be a little bit arrogant again with the ball.
Carlton Press Conference | 06:10
“He’s had a fantastic year, but his last two weeks he’s left opportunities on the floor for the opposition to take – and they have.”
Despite his club’s predicament, Voss said it must “embrace where we are at”.
“We are all about what’s in front of us. They are games to look forward to. We are playing in games that matter. This is an important phase in the development of our group,” Voss told reporters on Sunday.
“We need that exposure. We are going to the MCG next week against Melbourne, it will be a big game. The Collingwood game is being talked about already so we are getting exposure to these games and there can only be growth off the back of it.
“Tonight, it’s a bit of a tough one (lesson) but we’ve got to bring that fresh energy and we’ve got to correct ourselves pretty quick and we’ve got to get on with it.”
Things went from bad to worse for Carlton on Sunday in the second quarter against the Brisbane Lions.
Being blown off the park as they found themselves down 38-2, the Blues needed a spark and skipper Patrick Cripps tried to deliver it.
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A long kick down the line from Adam Cerra was punched high into the air by Brisbane’s Daniel Rich and Lions teammate Callum Ah Chee camped himself underneath it.
As the ball came down, Cripps came in at a hundred miles an hour and launched off the deck and flattened Ah Chee with a nasty hip and shoulder.
The impact of the hit left Ah Chee flat on the Gabba surface as several Lions teammates remonstrated with Cripps.
Medical staff rushed to Ah Chee’s side and he remained hunched over on his hands and knees before he was able to get back to his feet and under his own power make his way off the ground.
To make matters even worse for Cripps and his upcoming date with the Match Review Panel, Ah Chee was subbed out of the game with concussion, Mitch Robinson took his place.
Cripps was sixth favorite for the 2022 Brownlow Medal on TAB markets, but his name will surely contain an asterisk on the AFL’s night of nights.
“He’s much more likely to be suspended than not. The AFL’s bottom line is if you choose to bump, you’re responsible for the fallout,” Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy during the halftime show.
“This is a textbook case. He jumps off the ground, it’s not a marking contest, he doesn’t really contest the ball, he braces rather than reaches for the ball.
“Ah Chee is subbed out so it is absolutely medium impact, potentially even high impact.”
Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard was rubbed out earlier in the year for a strikingly similar hit on GWS’ Daniel Lloyd that resulted in him missing two weeks.
“It’s a tough one to watch,” former Carlton star Eddie Betts said on Fox Footy.
Carlton’s place in the finals is on the line, currently sitting seventh on the ladder one game clear of the ninth placed St Kilda.
They finish the season with games against the reigning premiers Melbourne and the running-hot Collingwood.
Failing to win any and they could find themselves standing on the outside looking in and having to secure a win without their inspirational skipper could prove to be mission impossible.
As his side enters a crucial stage of the season, star Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps will face Match Review Officer scrutiny after a collision with Cal Ah Chee led to the Brisbane defender being subbed out of Sunday’s game.
Cripps copped jeers from Lions fans at The Gabba after making contact with Ah Chee during the second quarter of the Blues’ clash with Brisbane at The Gabba.
Ah Chee leapt into the air and got hands on the ball before Cripps also jumps off the ground and makes contact from behind. Ace Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph pointed out on Fox Footy, Cripps braced rather than reached for the ball yet it wasn’t a marking contest, nor did it appear Cripps was contesting the ball.
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Ah Chee was helped from the ground before being subbed out under concussion protocols and replaced by Mitch Robinson.
Speaking on Fox Footy, Ralph said Cripps’ incident could be assessed by the MRO as medium or even high impact, which would lead to a suspension of multiple weeks.
While Cripps’ accidental landing may have contributed to Ah Chee’s injury, Ralph said precedent indicated that it wouldn’t necessarily help Cripps’ case. Ralph pointed to the ban Magpie Brayden Maynard copped in March, despite a secondary action playing a role in Giant Daniel Lloyd’s injury.
“He’s much more likely to be suspended than not. The AFL’s bottom line is if you choose to bump, you’re responsible for the fallout,” Ralph told Fox Footy.
“This is a textbook case. He jumps off the ground, it’s not a marking contest, he doesn’t really contest the ball, he braces rather than reaches for the ball.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of middle ground. It’s either a football incident and an accident and he gets off, or it’s got the potential to be high impact given the concussion and he could miss two weeks
“It’s probably going to go to court, it’s certainly going to be scrutinized very heavily by Michael Christian. I think he’s in trouble.”
Carlton needs to win at least one more match to secure a 2022 finals berth. But should the Blues lose to the Lions on Sunday then be without their skipper for clashes against Melbourne and Collingwood, their task will be more difficult.
Callum Ah Chee of the Lions was subbed out. Picture: Bradley KanarisSource: Getty Images
Cripps is also fifth favorite to take out this year’s Brownlow Medal.
“We’re watching in slow motion unfortunately and there’s not a lot of time to think,” triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy. “When ‘Crippa’ decided to take off and contest that ball, he wasn’t quite sure of the timing of it all.
“I think he should get off, I think it’s a football incident. But Jonny Ralph knows the precedent better than anyone.”
Triple All-Australian Eddie Betts added: “It’s a tough one to judge, because he turns his body right at the end. But Callum Ah Chee is convicted and gone off.”
