The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
NORTH Melbourne is believed to be privately bemused over the medical report Carlton tabled in Jack Ziebell's rough conduct case at the Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Carlton's report was tabled at the Tribunal hearing at which Ziebell was suspended for four matches for his heavy collision with Aaron Joseph in the second quarter of last Friday night's game.
The report stated Joseph had appeared fit to play on when first assessed after the collision, but by half-time had been diagnosed with concussion. Joseph did not take the field in the second half.
The Match Review Panel had earlier relied on Carlton's report when it classified Ziebell's contact with Joseph as high impact, which, along with Ziebell's existing bad record, was a key factor in escalating his demerit points to 467.50.
North football chief Donald McDonald was reluctant to comment on suggestions North was disappointed by Carlton's medical report when contacted by AFL.com.au and stressed he had no issues with its contents.
However, McDonald noted that Joseph had played the rest of the second quarter after his collision with Ziebell, and earlier in that quarter had been involved in a collision with Roos small forward Lindsay Thomas.
"Look, I'm not a medical expert and we're not disputing Carlton's medical report," McDonald said on Wednesday.
"But one of the things is Joseph did play on for the rest of the quarter and it didn't look like there was anything wrong with him. We really tracked him after the incident on the behind-the-goals footage and … he was really up and about. He played pretty tight, he was bumping into players.
"Carlton said he had delayed onset [concussion] - and we don't have an issue with that - but how do you know it wasn't a cumulative thing from the whole first half of the game?"
McDonald also said contrary to some reports North's medical report in Chris Judd's 'chicken wing' case had merely stated Leigh Adams had sustained a shoulder injury when the Carlton skipper wrenched his right arm back in the second quarter of last Friday night's match.
McDonald said North had been "really disappointed" by reports that its medical report stated Adams had suffered a partial dislocation of his right shoulder in the Judd incident.
That information had only been provided by club doctor Andrew McMahon when the AFL asked him to give evidence at the Tribunal by telephone, he said.
McDonald would not comment when asked if he was disappointed Carlton had not taken a similar approach with its medical evidence in the Ziebell case.
"All I can say is from our end we were really comfortable with the way we reported on that and that's something you've got to ask Carlton," McDonald said.
"Just go and get both medical reports and then you make your own mind up. And then make them available to the supporters, especially the North supporters out there, and they can make up their own minds."
A Carlton spokesman told AFL.com.au he was not aware of suggestions North was bemused by the Blues' medical report on Joseph.
"Our doctors are asked to supply a medical report and they do so without gilding the lily," he said.
"That's exactly what they have done in this case, so anything else really has nothing to do with us."
Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
