Luke Beveridge addresses Western Bulldogs champion Chris Grant missing club’s centenary celebration; Melbourne Demons’ Steven May to appeal three-match suspension
“Even in the struggling times when the club wasn’t financial and our survival was questioned, Granty was a critical figure on the playing field and through that journey to show his loyalty, as Marcus has in recent times.
“So it would have been great to be able to acknowledge Chris as part of that recognised 25 but, you know, unfortunately, he wasn’t there. It didn’t diminish the celebration. We celebrated everyone that was there.
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli was named the club’s second greatest-ever player. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“As you know, there’s a number of gentlemen who are no longer with us on this Earth, and it was great to have representatives from their families there, to be able to celebrate who they have been, as men who impacted our footy club.”
Nine reporter Tom Morris told Footy Classified on Tuesday night that Grant was still affected by his exit from the Bulldogs after more than 30 years as a player and administrator. Nine owns this masthead.
“I spoke to Chris Grant today. He was at pains to point out he doesn’t want to make the situation any worse or add any more information to it than needs to be added,” Morris said.
“But it’s very clear that Grant still feels wounded by his exit over the last 12 months at the Western Bulldogs.”
Beveridge said it was fantastic to see AFLW star Ellie Blackburn named in the Bulldogs’ greatest 25 players.
“She squeezed a hell of a lot in to her journey at our football club over the last decade. So it’s tremendous to have her recognised as well,” he said.
Beveridge said James O’Donnell and Laitham Vandermeer would be in contention for selection against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
May, Demons to appeal three-match suspension
Marc McGowan, Danny Russell
Melbourne will appeal premiership defender Steven May’s three-match rough conduct ban for the incident that concussed Carlton’s Francis Evans last weekend.
The AFL tribunal handed May that penalty on Wednesday night for his high-speed, front-on collision with Evans, who was also left with a bloodied nose and missing tooth, that divided the football community.
The Demons will present their case to the AFL appeals board next week. May is already out of Sunday’s clash with St Kilda because of his own concussion from a separate incident involving Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning.
Related cases from this year featuring Fremantle’s Alex Pearce and North Melbourne’s Jackson Archer were discussed throughout the tribunal hearing.
Steven May was concussed against Carlton.Credit: AFL Photos
Pearce managed to beat his rough conduct charge despite Port Adelaide forward Darcy Byrne-Jones suffering a concussion, whereas Archer was not successful in appealing a three-match suspension for a collision that knocked out Western Bulldogs’ Luke Cleary.
However, Melbourne’s legal representative, Adrian Anderson, argued at the tribunal that May’s case differed to Archer’s because the star Demon felt he could have beaten Evans to the ball. Anderson asked May on the night why he had an expression of disbelief after the collision with Evans.
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“Just can’t believe I didn’t take possession,” May said. “I thought I did everything right, so I’m just a bit shocked.”
The league ultimately disagreed with that perspective, including barrister Andrew Woods saying that May’s conduct was “a breach of a duty of care that he owed Evans” despite admitting that those circumstances were “not easy things for a player to assess”. Woods also said that May’s actions did not constitute a bump.
Melbourne football boss Alan Richardson said the Demons believed May’s actions were reasonable in the circumstances.
“We felt we presented a really strong case, and Steven’s sole intention was to win the ball. We believe he provided a contest in a reasonable way, given the circumstances,” Richardson said.
“After reviewing the outcome and seeking further expert legal advice this morning, we have decided to appeal the tribunal’s decision.”
Match review officer Michael Christian originally assessed May’s charge as careless conduct, with high contact and severe impact.
There were wildly different views on May’s actions, including from former players David King and Isaac Smith. Fox Footy expert King believed May should have received a six-match ban, while Channel Nine’s Smith said he did not deserve any sort of suspension.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says the type of marking contests that saw De Koning concuss May with an accidental knee to the back of the head can’t be penalised with a suspension as the AFL continues to wage war on high hits.
De Koning took the last-quarter pack mark in Carlton’s eight-point win at the MCG, but May was left clutching his head on the ground and was later to be concussed.
“When a player has got his eyes for the ball and going for one of those big contested marks, unfortunately, there’s some collateral damage at times,” Beveridge said on Thursday.
“We talk about football acts, and definitely some of us talk about whether there’s intent to hurt someone outside of the game, and obviously, in those circumstances, definitely not.
“Someone’s got eyes for the ball, and that’s the thing, when there’s eyes for the ball, and for all intents and purposes, the player is trying to win the ball, and that’s critical, and most importantly, is a protected part of our game.”
But Beveridge said he was not surprised by May’s three-match suspension, despite believing both players were going after the football.
“One of the things that’s never happened in our tribunal system, is there’s never really been any precedent established,” Beveridge said
“So I don’t think anyone should be talking about precedence for the game and how it affects the game into the future because I think each one, on their own terms, is assessed when it happens.”
Beveridge compared the May collision with Archer’s case.
“I felt Jackson Archer just went, you know, as hard as he could at the football. Luke Cleary was coming the other way, doing the same thing. It was an unfortunate thing. It’s a collision, and Luke was concussed,” Beveridge said.
“Both of the lads in the picture on this one [May and Evans] seem to be doing the same thing. Obviously, one came off worse for wear.
“So based on what happened with Jackson, it hasn’t necessarily surprised me that there’s been a suspension. Do I agree with it? Probably not. But it didn’t surprise me that the suspension is there.”
