Ben Long One Week

[Goose is king]

He didn’t even grab his head with his hands. When have you ever had contact to the head of any significance and not grabbed your head?

[Sainter_Dad]

AFL asks the players on the jury to ask themselves whether they were surprised how quickly Jack Macrae got up from Ben Long's bump, and if they were surprised he wasn't injured.

[Sainter_Dad]

AFL: "It's not a case where we're on the margins of whether this is a reportable offence. He's accepted this was low. The question for you is whether a player who comes in with this momentum, who had the potential to tackle by the way ... and makes significant contact with the face ... does this have the chance to cause significant injury?"

[bigred]

The jurors are Paul Williams, Richard Loveridge and David Neitz and the chairman is David Jones.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda now arguing its case.

[bigred]

OK we're up.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: "We're obviously dealing with split seconds. What is obvious is Macrae is looking at the ball and has Ben Long in vision. To say in some way Macrae was not expecting the bump or a tackle, whatever, in the context of what we see is not an interpretation readily available on the vision."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: It's clearly apparent both players are looking at the ball, are looking at each other, and to say one is not aware of the other is not readily open on the vision.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: There are some basic and fundamental facts which don't require interpretation. However my learned friend Mr Gleeson tries to weave a way through the way impact is described ... what we know, what is concrete - the medical report says there was no head injury. The player stayed on the ground. He continued to play. These things cannot be disputed.

[Sainter_Dad]

Editorial - Go the Good Guys!

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: The impact from Ben Long was not of sufficient impact to cause any injury at all to player Macrae. That's a critical factor and we say it goes, significantly, to the grading of impact in this matter.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: On the basis of the medical report, which is concrete evidence, we'd suggest that's a really good starting point to understand this impact was low.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda says the previous examples, which distinguish between low and medium impact, are a good guide.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda says the jurors are being invited to "speculate" on the potential to cause injury which adds "a slippery slope to the way we should interpret bumps on the footy field".

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda pointing to the lack of injury as a crucial factor in the impact grading.

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: "Here there is not significant head contact. At the last minute, Long has turned around ... we agree there's a 360 pivot by Macrae, but there's no significant head contact."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: "There's no head over the ball, the ball is out in front and the players are looking at each other."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda asks the jurors to deal "on certainty, not on speculation".

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda says Ben Long did not follow through with a full, front-on bump. "He in fact turned ... in an attempt to reduce impact. What he did by that action was reduce the potential to cause injury, not enlarge it. It's the very opposite of what is being contended by Mr Gleeson. Rather than create a potential (for serious injury), he has turned at the last minute and has in effect reduced the capacity for injury."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: "You are allowed to bump in this game, and as experienced members, the jury would understand how these things present over a very short period of time."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda: "This is a glancing impact, it's a low contact, and the impact should be recategorised."

[Sainter_Dad]

St Kilda also brings up Ben Long's history of rough conduct. "It's a bit unfortunate ... what went on earlier in the year is totally irrelevant. As irrelevant as any commentary around Ben Long. It would be unfair if that, in any way, was taken into account. It's this incident, this alone, that is the subject of your deliberations."

[Sainter_Dad]

The Saints have finished their opening arguments.

[Sainter_Dad]

The Tribunal chairman tells the jurors to decide this case on the evidence before them, including the medical report, and agrees Long's previous suspension is "totally irrelevant".

[remboy]

I’m convinced. Let him off.