Itโs back to the AFLโs legal representatives to further outline their case, drawing on the tribunal guidelines, and closely examining โthe potential to cause injuryโ.
Nick Pane KC is representing the league, and he argues that it was an off-the-ball incident, even though the footy was close by.
โIn this case, we have the ball in the vicinity, but the contact is โoff the ballโ,โ Pane says.
โPlayer Butt would not be expecting that kind of action from an opposing player.
โThe victim player should not, reasonably, be expecting contact.
โEverything in the body language for player Lynch before the strikeโฆ was about maximising impact.
โ He swung his arm from down low, to up high where the contact was made.โ
Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson KC pops up with a question.
โPlayer Lynch was very lucky that player Butts was not severely concussed, or severely injured,โ Pane says in reply to another question from Gleeson.
โThe contact was to the back of the head.
โIn my submission, when one looks at it in the whole โฆ a player swings his arm in a forceful motion.
โHis arm comes up above his shoulder.โ
About The Author
