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BREAKING; Sam Powell-Pepper learns the outcome of Mark Keane’s hit at the AFL Tribunal

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4 months ago

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The Port Adelaide forward was accused of rough conduct and was sent to the Tribunal.

Sam Powell-Pepper was found guilty of rough conduct in the AFL Tribunal, and the AFL prevailed. Powell-Pepper was suspended for four games.

Powell-Pepper’s actions were deemed “very careles” by the Tribunal, notwithstanding Port Adelaide’s plea of guilty to the allegation and their desire for a three-match penalty.

Powell-Pepper’s suspension will prevent him from playing in the first month of the home and away season, which includes matches against West Coast, Richmond, Melbourne, and Essendon.

When Round 5 rolls around, he will be available to play against Fremantle.

Here is the Tribunal’s summation:

We have thoroughly examined every piece of evidence and the occurrence in its entirety. We reject the idea that there was only a small amount of guilt involved. Powell-Pepper rushed up to where Mr. Keane was being tackled.

We acknowledge that his intention was to help with the tackle. We reject the notion that Mr. Powell-Pepper could not have reasonably anticipated Mr. Keane’s movement during his tackle by Mr. Rioli. As they were about to make contact. Mr. Powell-Pepper shifted his right shoulder and made a strong, high contact with Mr. Keane while tucking in his right arm.

Even if the shoulder movement was a reflex, this would not absolve the other aspects of the behavior of any responsibility. We believe that Mr. Powell-Pepper acted in a very negligent manner. He shot toward a tackle that was in progress. He should have fairly expected that the player being tackled would be moving in the tackle, if that was not his expectation.

When attempting to help in a tackle, he had an obligation to exercise reasonable caution to prevent head-high contact. He did not do anything to prevent the eventual touch from happening. Even if we grant that the movement of the shoulder was a reflex motion. incident happened as a result of Mr. Powell-Pepper running quickly at a player who was already being tackled and failing to take any precautions to prevent making high contact with the player.

In each of those cases, we believe that four weeks is a suitable punishment.

Here is how the hearing unfolded…

11:56: After almost two hours, the Tribunal is off to deliberate.

11:53: Hannon: The AFL seeks in no way to make a scapegoat of Mr. Powell-Pepper.

11:45: Krupka: “Everything you see before the point of contact is consistent with an intention to tackle. There was no intention other than to tackle. It was a legitimate football act to approach the contest in the matter he did.

“That is the lowest level of culpability you’re likely to see throughout the season.”

“Anything further than three games would be manifestly excessive.”

11:42: Krupka (Power): [Powell-Pepper] has given frank, sensible, believable evidence without any embellishment.

11:38: The AFL is looking to have a strong stance on these types of incidents early into the year.

Hannon: “It sends a message to the playing community.”

11:37: Hannon: A four-game suspension doesn’t suggest Powell-Pepper ran in with a deliberate intention to make contact with Keane’s head. The AFL argues this is an “entirely predictable” outcome and that the responsibility lies with the player to avoid contact with the head.

11:33: Hannon (AFL) notes Tribunal regulations that a pre-season suspension will be served in the first round of the home and away season competition, and that if suspended a player will miss any further pre-season games, unless otherwise directed by the AFL’s GM of Football.

11:32: The testimony of Dr. Shorter is now over.

11:28: shorter: “It would be anticipated that as a protective mechanism, no different to if we’re going into any type of collision with any context, your natural reaction is to have that element of ensuring that you’re protecting yourself with any engagement.”

Shorter acknowledges that Powell-Pepper moved his shoulder because he anticipated collision.

Shorter acknowledges that Powell-Pepper is attempting to tackle with his right arm “very minimally” at 11:21.

11:15: Hannon (AFL) is asking Shorter if the movement is aggressive or defensive in nature as she questions him about the vision.

According to Shorter, there’s no sign that Powell-Pepper will act differently from when she chooses to get involved.

“There’s no indication of trying to aggressively go in at that instant.”

11:06: Shorter says Rioli’s tackle on Keane rotates the Crows player towards Powell-Pepper and “increases the complexity to the dynamics in terms of the speed of the interaction” and also adjusts the height of Keane’s head. 

Shorter adds there would’ve been “limited scope” and “insufficient time” for Powell-Pepper to react.

11:02: Shorter: “There is no obvious indication of a rapid alteration in terms of his body positioning that is inconsistent with the previous frames in this instance.”

10:56: Shorter says Powell-Pepper’s stance in the second before contact is consistent with a tackle position and not a ‘bump’ position. A frame later (0.9 of a second or under from contact), Shorter says Powell-Pepper “maintains” a similar position.

Shorter: “You’re not in a position to aggressively transfer momentum.”

10:54: Port Adelaide are breaking down the incident frame-by-frame, with Shorter providing evidence of the timing of Powell-Pepper’s actions.

10:47: Shorter: “In terms of a typical human reflex, in a sporting context, a defensive manoeuvre takes between 0.267 of a second to 0.308 of a second.

“A ‘knee-jerk’ reaction, where there’s no conscious response, takes 0.05 of a second.”

10:41: Powell-Pepper accepts that it ‘looks like’ his right arm is in what Hannon (AFL) referred to as a ‘classic bump position’.

Powell-Pepper’s evidence period has now concluded. The biomechanist, Dr. Kath Shorter, has been brought into the hearing.

10:35: Powell-Pepper doubles down that his sole intention was to tackle Keane. Powell-Pepper accepts that there can be a need to brace or bump in the final split-second moment before contact.

10:29: Powell-Pepper: “My role requires a lot of repeat efforts and applying pressure. [The incident] all happened fairly quickly.

“My sole intention was to tackle and help Willie Rioli in the tackle. I got my feet set and got to a low point in order to tackle. I was getting my (left) arm ready to wrap around for the tackle.

“For me, I don’t really remember what happened in that split second it went so quick. I have no recollection.”

Powell-Pepper says he made no decision in his mind to bump.

Powell-Pepper reveals he sent Keane a message post-game.

10:27: An Adelaide medical report states the club has confidence Keane will be available to play come Round 1.

10:23: Krupka (Port) argues the culpability of Powell-Pepper is at the “very low end” and justifies the club’s submission of a three-game ban.

The Tribunal has approved Port Adelaide using the biomechanist’s evidence.

10:21: A slow start after Port Adelaide’s mic didn’t work earlier in the hearing, with the club’s counsel needing to address the AFL’s concerns as to why a biomechanist is/isn’t needed for the case, as well as the timing of the club’s submission of evidence.

10:08: Port Adelaide are pleading guilty, agreeing to the classification, of the Rough Conduct charge. They are pushing for a three-game suspension. AFL arguing for a four-game ban.

Powell-Pepper will speak, while a biomechanist will also look to help the Power’s case. The AFL has reservations of the biomechanist’s evidence, due to late notice and that the proposed evidence has little value to the proceedings.

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