Match Review Panel Chairman Mark Fraser says Jack Ziebell was ‘looking at the ball’ when he made contact with Carlton’s Aaron Joseph in an incident that could cost him an extended stint on the sidelines.
Ziebell was offered a three-week ban with an early plea for ‘engaging in rough conduct’ during the second quarter of Friday night’s game.
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“You see (Aaron) Joseph’s running to receive the handball then Ziebell jumps into the air. He tucks his right arm in and makes forceful high contact to Joseph,” Fraser told the AFL website.
“While Ziebell does touch the ball, we didn’t believe that it was a legitimate attempt to go for the footy, to take possession of or to spoil the ball and we thought that that was more a negligent, rough conduct act.”
“It does go to looking what he was trying to do, so that’s why we graded him negligent. Often when people jump in the air like that and make the high contact it’s more of a reckless nature, whereas we thought because there he was the looking at the ball it was more negligent in nature."
Nathan Grima and Sam Wright have also been slapped with one-match sanctions, though they’ll be free to play this week with early pleas, while Carlton’s Chris Judd will face the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night, charged with misconduct against Leigh Adams.
The Blues’ Michael Jamison was cleared of contact against North vice-captain Drew Petrie during the first quarter.
“He (Jamison) slides over the top of Petrie rather than really driving the knees in,” Fraser said.
“Whilst that action is potentially reportable, we believe that there wasn’t enough impact in that to warrant a charge in this case.”
Fraser admitted the defender was ‘lucky’ to escape a sanction.
