Mee tackle ban a ‘farce’, says Merbein president

MERBEIN Football Netball Club president Toney Hurley has called on the SFNL to get tougher on dangerous tackles after the tribunal handed a two-week ban to Irymple midfielder Nick Mee this week.

Mee was suspended for rough conduct on Wednesday evening by an independent SFNL tribunal for a “sling” tackle on Merbein’s Sam Brinsmead that left the Magpie unconscious for 40 seconds.

Brinsmead was taken to hospital and subsequent scans revealed a fracture of the C7 vertebrae.

The star defender, who is unable to work and is required to wear a neck brace, is unsure whether he will play football again and has cancelled plans to move to London next month.

Mee pleaded guilty to the charge and his defence said while Mee was remorseful for the strong tackle, he did not deliver it with reckless intent.

But Hurley labelled the tribunal’s two-week ban a “farce” and called on the SFNL or AFL Victoria to change its grading of reportable offences, arguing that sling tackles could do more damage than a “king hit”.

“I don’t want to see Nick get any more time,” Hurley said. “This case is done and dusted.

“It’s not a Merbein-against-Irymple thing, but that rule has to be changed to be more of a deterrent going forward.

“Most times when (a sling tackle) is done, it’s a deliberate act, because there’s always another option. But if the penalty was for a minimum of five weeks, would (players) do it? I don’t think they would.”

Hurley said he was concerned that the tribunal chose not to hear submissions from Merbein or umpiring representatives and suggested the tribunal should factor injury into its adjudication of offences in the future.

Sunraysia Daily understands Merbein representatives did not present evidence on the night but had submitted written evidence before the hearing and were allowed to ask questions of witnesses and umpires.

The AFL Commission made an immediate amendment to its dangerous tackle guidelines in 2020 after Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne escaped penalty for a sling tackle on Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield during an AFL match.

At the time, AFL chief executive Gill McLachlan said sling tackles had the potential to cause head injuries and it was essential the AFL tribunal took this into account when assessing an incident.

The SFNL rule book outlines 12 classifiable offences based on gradings by AFL Victoria which, once classed as either careless or intentional, and graded for impact and point of contact, carry set base penalties.

But SFNL executive officer Peter Walker said sling tackles were included under the rough conduct category as there was no specified classification made by AFL Victoria.

Walker said any review of gradings for sling tackles would have to come from the AFL.