AFL Tribunal: Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron learns fate for tackle on West Coast Eagles’ Liam Duggan
Brisbane star Charlie Cameron’s controversial three-match ban has been sensationally upheld by the AFL Tribunal, despite widespread outrage over the suspension.
Eagles co-captain Liam Duggan was concussed after his head hit the ground during a tackle early in the second quarter of the Lions’ 13-point win at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Duggan has entered concussion protocols and will miss the club’s clash with St Kilda on Saturday, with a projected return yet to be determined.
Cameron was charged with rough conduct by the Match Review Officer, who deemed it careless, severe impact and high contact, resulting in a three-match suspension.
The Lions plead not guilty to the rough conduct charge, arguing Cameron’s actions were not unreasonable in the circumstances.
Giving evidence, Cameron argued that he became unbalanced because Duggan fought the tackle, contributing to the outcome.
“He rotates his body and twists, so he’s dragging me down when we get our feet tangled and I lost my balance,” Cameron said.
Camera IconLiam Duggan is checked after being injured by a tackle from Charlie Cameron. Credit: Will Russell/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
“You can see him dropping his knees and rotating… I’ve got no control, I’ve only got control of him. He’s dragging me to the ground. I felt like he has created the backward momentum.”
The AFL, represented by Lisa Hannon, countered the Lions star could have “tried to pull or sit him (Duggan) down”. She also suggested Cameron could have released Duggan’s right arm.
Cameron responded: “I’m just trying to complete a tackle and not let him dispose of the ball. That’s my job, to complete a tackle.”
The tribunal deliberated for just under an hour before deciding to uphold the ban. Cameron will miss the Lions’ next three matches, against Sydney, Gold Coast and St Kilda.
West Coast star Elliot Yeo was bewildered by the suspension when probed on it on Tuesday morning, asking: “What is he supposed to do, put a pillow under his head?”
Camera IconWest Coast star Elliot Yeo has criticised the hefty ban handed to Charlie Cameron for a tackle that left Eagles co-captain Liam Duggan concussed as ‘wrong’. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos
“As players, we just thought ‘that’s just a normal tackle’,” Yeo told 96FM.
“There’s no malice in it, there’s nothing at all. It’s just a bit of unfortunate bad luck.
“It felt like there were a few of them on the weekend as well, that were probably in the same vein as that.”
Yeo said players were confused by the ruling, arguing Cameron’s tackle appeared to be “a genuine football action”.
“If you go half-hearted and you let them out of the tackle, it feels like you’d be deemed as soft and you’re open to scrutiny,” he said.
“It’s a very, very fine line at the moment and it’s very hard as a player to understand what warrants good tackle and what doesn’t.
“It seems like it’s more of an outcome-based type of thing rather than… that felt to me like it was a genuine football action.
“He didn’t slam his head in the ground, he didn’t do anything.
“Unfortunately he just fell because Duggy tried to shake the tackle… what is he supposed to do, let him out of the tackle?”
West Coast midfielder Tim Kelly echoed his teammate’s sentiment, saying he didn’t think there was any malice in the tackle.
“It just looked like a bit of a bad accident,” Kelly told SEN.
Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley conceded players would now go into tackles worried about the outcome, given the “perfect tackle” by Cameron resulted in a ban.
“He (Cameron) was a bit rattled by it instantly, but I said, and the umpire, everyone was saying at the time that it was a perfect tackle,” Dunkley said on Tuesday.
“So it’s a very harsh penalty, but I mean, what do you do? It’s hard to know as a player these days. Personally I go into tackles now worried about what the outcome’s going to be.
“So you’re very hesitant in what you’re doing and I feel like that’s going to impact everyone across the competition because guys are going to potentially hold back a little bit, and I don’t know if that’s what we want.”
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