CARLTON’S Adam Cerra has been fined $5500 for making careless contact with an umpire for a fourth time after a bizarre hearing on a big Tuesday night at the Tribunal.
While Cerra avoided suspension, Brisbane’s Zac Bailey and North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri were not so lucky, with their bans for one match and three matches respectively upheld.
Cerra was referred directly to the Tribunal after being charged with a fourth offence for making careless contact with an umpire within a two-year period.
The 25-year-old pleaded guilty, arguing for a fine of no more than $5000.
With the AFL pushing for a fine of $6250, the Tribunal almost split the difference in a strange case that lasted 75 minutes.
In his summary, chairman Jeff Gleeson said all players should now be on notice – this was not a precedent.
“Players who repeatedly commit offence of careless contact with an umpire will not necessarily benefit from an incrementally increased fine, or indeed that a fine will always be the appropriate sanction,” Gleeson said.
The AFL argued for the heftier fine on the basis it was a way of changing player behaviour.
However, Cerra’s counsel, Elizabeth Bateman, said it would be unfair to penalise the Blues midfielder for the League-wide increase in umpire contact.
She said Carlton would likely have challenged some of Cerra’s previous offences if it knew about the crackdown at the time.
Cerra will be available to face Melbourne on Saturday night.
Bailey will be unavailable for Brisbane against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night though, with the Lions failing to overturn his one-match ban for rough conduct.
Bailey’s bump on Nick Haynes in the win against Carlton resulted in a clash of heads, with the Lions arguing impact was low, rather than medium, which would have resulted in a fine.
But the Tribunal rejected seven examples of bumps presented by Brisbane counsel Adrian Anderson that were graded as low, saying “none of the comparisons are closely similar”.
It said Bailey’s bump had the potential to cause concussion or a facial injury, therefore upholding the grading of medium impact.
The Tribunal was equally blunt on Xerri, who gave evidence in an attempt to downgrade his three-match suspension for striking Melbourne’s Tom Sparrow.
The North Melbourne ruck challenged the ‘careless’ grading, saying he had “no choice” but to be physical and apply pressure.
His lawyer argued a push from Christian Salem into Jy Simpkin at the stoppage, which in turn forced Simpkin into Sparrow, meant the Demons midfielder was both closer and lower in height than he otherwise would have been.
The Tribunal was having none of it though, calling it a forceful blow.
“Xerri was likely to strike Sparrow high regardless of these pushes,” Gleeson said.
He will now miss matches against Sydney, Geelong and St Kilda.
