Will Minson sent off and reported in VFL for pushing an umpire - UPDATE: Appeal Successful

[Pie eyed]

Sanity prevailed.
Hopefully those responsible for the original 4 week suspension have been given a holiday...about 4 years.

 

[ManOfClay]

Pretty disgusting that something can be investigated and assessed as a 4 week suspension only for it to be almost completely dismissed.

In terms of the vfl tribunal administering the punishment, $7500 is a fair whack

 

[master bate]

$7500 fine is crazy. That's a heap. That's saying it should be at least 1 week but we've rolled over to Peter Gordon and we'll try to make the fine amount big enough as a substitute for the proper penalty.

4 weeks might've been too much.

But you get fined for accidentally contacting the umpire. Deliberately and with menace even if it was very very soft has to be more than a fine.

 

[The Passenger]

Forgetting anything to do with this case, I do find it peculiar that a suspension can go from 4 weeks to 0 weeks, especially when you consider he has been given a fine and a reprimand so he's still been found guilty... I would've more thought the process would be OK he's guilty but 4 weeks is excessive, lets bring it down to 2 weeks... ?

This is nothing to do with any facts of the Minson case - Just kinda how you would expect the general gist to go when sentences are reduced...

 

[FyfeToAdelaide]

Lol Port should be pissed, if this is zero weeks and AFLPA going into bat... Then the Moore decision and lack of any PA outrage isn't a good look.

 

[Schauermann]

Really strange he now got off. Or more to a different sanction. 7500$ is lot as a fine as was 4 weeks as a suspension. Don't really know what is worse. Surely the fine when you are a rookie. Really think those fines should be based on salary. The likes of Ablett, Scully, Boyd, Pav would laugh even at this fine while others probably will have to eat leftovers for a month when paying it. Btw. do player really pay them or the clubs?

 

[The Joker]

Btw. do player really pay them or the clubs?

Well the fine needs to be paid by before Saturday, what if Minson is hard up for cash? After all he hasn't played 1st team footy this year! As small as it is, there is a chance the club may have to pay the actual fine.

The more i look at it the more i believe the VFL let him off with a fine because of Gordons speech!

 

[HBF]

Justice done.
Red card on the day was clearly sufficient.

 

[BrisDog]

A few questions need to be answered. If both the club, VFL and the umpires wanted a financial sanction initially - how did they come up with 4 weeks?

And what has changed in 2 days to go from 4 weeks to 0 weeks with no change of facts?

Obviously a little common sense has kicked in, but the integrity of the VFL/AFL tribunals and all of those above who have influence has been extremely muddy.

I really have little confidence in the blokes who run this game.

 

[Milanista28]

Talk about corrupting the process and influencing the decision through the media.

 

[madmug]

A few questions need to be answered.

I really have little confidence in the blokes who run this game.

Talk about corrupting the process and influencing the decision through the media.

Welcome to the reality that is the AFL.

FIFA first, then-----

 

[Macca19]

I like that you can get off a suspension now because your career is on the line.

Hopefully we name John Butcher next week and tell him to run through a few blokes. "Dont worry Johnny, apparently if your about to be delisted at years end you can get off suspensions".

 

[Brad Goodman]

I like that you can get off a suspension now because your career is on the line.

Hopefully we name John Butcher next week and tell him to run through a few blokes. "Dont worry Johnny, apparently if your about to be delisted at years end you can get off suspensions".

Taking out anything that has happened in the last few days, what punishment would you have handed out given the vision?

 

[Lissy]

Ouch think of how many PS4 consoles he could have purchased instead of being fined for touching an umpire.



Very very lucky he got away with a fine in the end. I would have been satisfied with the original decision being upheld.

I'd love them to add this kind of thing to afl live computer games. A real extra dimension.

 

[Underdog]

Taking out anything that has happened in the last few days, what punishment would you have handed out given the vision?

There was an alleged verbal barb along with the contact so making a decision on the video alone is pretty dumb.

 

[Brad Goodman]

There was an alleged verbal barb along with the contact so making a decision on the video alone is pretty dumb.

Aren't abusive language and physical contact separate charges?

EDIT: Although I do agree, it does add context to the incident.

 

[ApplecrossWC]

Ridiculous decision.

Seems like the AFL and VFL are happy to encourage violence against umpires.

 

[Syd]

How many weeks should Goodes have got for this then?

He's clearly protecting the umpire from a vicious attack by the kid with the doubled up fists.

Give him another Australian of the Year Award!!

 

[Underdog]

Aren't abusive language and physical contact separate charges?

EDIT: Although I do agree, it does add context to the incident.

Yeah, the context is what I mean.

The larger issue is the threat to the umpire regardless of whether it's verbal and/or physical.

Theoretically, a player could rest a hand on the umpires shoulder and say "I'm going to kill you". Obviously there's very little physical force but there is a huge amount of physical intimidation. That is absolutely not on.

I wasn't in the vicinity of the incident, I don't know what was said and the footage is shithouse. I don't know how any of us keyboard warriors can determine guilt one way or another.

What I can say however is that the review process was abysmal. We had an incident investigated and assessed as a 4 week ban. A couple of pro-Footscray media outbursts and an appeal then reduces the penalty of his guilty verdict to a fine (admittedly, a significant one).

How a guilty verdict remains but changes from a 4 week ban to a fine is absolutely mind boggling.

 

[Brad Goodman]

How a guilty verdict remains but changes from a 4 week ban to a fine is absolutely mind boggling.

From the sounds of it the difference was Minson's testimony last night compared to none at all on Tuesday.

The discrepancy in penalties is credible as the two hearings were heard by two completely different sets of people. Had the original decision been a $7500 fine and a reprimand (especially as the umpires themselves lobbied for this), most people would have thought "yeah, fair enough" and moved on.

 

[Hoops]

8 weeks, should be 12 but they accepted the excuse that he thought he was hugging LRT.

I think 2-4 is fair.

This?

 

[Ant_]

Yeah, the context is what I mean.

The larger issue is the threat to the umpire regardless of whether it's verbal and/or physical.

Theoretically, a player could rest a hand on the umpires shoulder and say "I'm going to kill you". Obviously there's very little physical force but there is a huge amount of physical intimidation. That is absolutely not on.

I wasn't in the vicinity of the incident, I don't know what was said and the footage is shithouse. I don't know how any of us keyboard warriors can determine guilt one way or another.

What I can say however is that the review process was abysmal. We had an incident investigated and assessed as a 4 week ban. A couple of pro-Footscray media outbursts and an appeal then reduces the penalty of his guilty verdict to a fine (admittedly, a significant one).

How a guilty verdict remains but changes from a 4 week ban to a fine is absolutely mind boggling.

According to the appeal the language consisted of which both the Umpire and Will agreed on is : “There’s no ******* way that was touched, you’ve got to be ******* kidding”.

Hardly life threatening stuff.

 

[Xtreme]

This?

Umpire started it, demoted 1 week to umpire the vfl reserves

 

[Syrah]

This?

Is that a whistle in your shorts?

 

[Underdog]

According to the appeal the language consisted of which both the Umpire and Will agreed on is : “There’s no ******* way that was touched, you’ve got to be ******* kidding”.

Hardly life threatening stuff.

My example was more to illustrate how light touches can still be physically intimidating when contextualised with language.

In this case, I'd suggest it still warrants a suspension but not 4 weeks.