Hawthorn defender Josh Weddle is facing a potential suspension after a late hit that Gold Coast believe has broken the jaw of their speedster Daniel Rioli. Rioli fumbled a ball on the wing before being collected high and late by Weddle, who will be scrutinised by the AFL’s match review officer for the bump.
Weddle Faces Three-Week Ban
If the incident is deemed to be careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, Weddle faces a three-week ban. And if scans confirm Rioli’s jaw is broken, the hit is almost certain to be graded as severe impact. Rioli’s absence will be a major blow for the Suns, as will Weddle’s for the Hawks, who are already set to lose Jarman Impey to a hamstring injury.
Impey Injury Drama
The classy ball-user felt a tweak in his hamstring after a long kick in the first quarter but took some painkillers and made the curious decision to go back out onto the ground. He lasted only minutes into the second quarter before coming off again and calling it a night.
Other Incidents Under Scrutiny
Elsewhere in a first half of carnage, Hawthorn draftee Cam Nairn passed a head injury assessment after being dumped in a tackle by Sam Clohesy, who will also face MRO scrutiny. Clohesy is fortunate Nairn was not concussed, but may still be cited for driving the Hawks youngster’s head into the turf without rolling him.
This week, North Melbourne small forward Paul Curtis failed to overturn a three-week ban for a similar tackle which concussed West Coast’s Hamish Davis.
Ginnivan Also in the Spotlight
In what will be a busy post-mortem of the game, MRO Michael Christian will also have a decision to make on Jack Ginnivan for a jumper punch on top Gold Coast draftee Zeke Uwland. Uwland laid flat on the ground as he got in a scuffle with Ginnivan, who punched the 19-year-old’s jaw. Ginnivan could face a one-week ban, or a misconduct fine at the very least.
