News Jaidyn Stephenson set to return to competitive footy this week

[Unknown Entity]

No doubt this will be a talking point this week, interested to here some opposition perspective. Personally shocked the AFL signed off on it:

Via AFL.com:
"BANNED Collingwood forward Jaidyn Stephenson will play in the Magpies' VFL game on Saturday, just hours after missing his 10th AFL match for betting on games. Pies coach Nathan Buckley revealed the pacy forward would play his first competitive match since copping a 10-game suspension on June 19, ahead of round 14. Stephenson was not allowed to play VFL football during his ban, but Collingwood said the AFL had agreed the forward could play in Saturday's state-league game against Box Hill because the Magpies' AFL team played on Friday night. "

Fixture quirk allows banned Pie to make surprise VFL return

Jaidyn Stephenson will play in Collingwood's VFL game on Saturday, just hours after missing his 10th AFL match for betting on games

www.afl.com.au

 

[jimmy35]

Good news for us and Stepho.

 

[nahnah]

Great result for fans of the AFL

 

[Underarm]

So if you get suspended for 1 week and your team plays on the Friday, you can play VFL on the Saturday?

Further proves Eddie Maguire is the best administrator at any club.

 

[balmainforever]

Terrible precedent to be set now.
Can be suspended for one AFL match and if your VFL team plays the day after, you’re going to be allowed to play?
Common sense gone out the window here.

 

[banzai]

As long the same rule applies for any player suspended in the afl or vfl.

 

[balmainforever]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely

 

[Unknown Entity]

So if you get suspended for 1 week and your team plays on the Friday, you can play VFL on the Saturday?

Further proves Eddie Maguire is the best administrator at any club.

Terrible precedent to be set now.
Can be suspended for one AFL match and if your VFL team plays the day after, you’re going to be allowed to play?
Common sense gone out the window here.

Particularly given he was already on a reduced sentence.

Really odd one by the AFL.

 

[dean33]

Further proof the afl is run by clowns.

 

[Milanista28]

Wow, AFL just love making s**t up as they go.

 

[telsor]

So if you get suspended for 1 week and your team plays on the Friday, you can play VFL on the Saturday?

Further proves Eddie Maguire is the best administrator at any club.

That does seem to be the new rule.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Terrible precedent to be set now.
Can be suspended for one AFL match and if your VFL team plays the day after, you’re going to be allowed to play?
Common sense gone out the window here.

No, you have to miss one game, playing the next day is not missing a game.

He has missed 10 games, it's just lucky the VFL side plays the day after the 10th, if it was the day before, he couldn't play.

 

[Hyakutake]

Terrible precedent to be set now.
Can be suspended for one AFL match and if your VFL team plays the day after, you’re going to be allowed to play?
Common sense gone out the window here.

I'm assuming there might be some modification of the language pretty soon to clarify the position and stop it happening again. In the interim though.

 

[nahnah]

cant people just be happy for a young guy making his VFL debut, bigfooty is such a disgusting place sometimes

 

[LoungeLizard]

Holly **** it's not that hard.
The minute the Collingwood v Essendon AFL match finishes, he is clear to play.

 

[kreglze]

That seems bizarre, surely you can't return till the following weekend?

 

[Underarm]

I'm assuming there might be some modification of the language pretty soon to clarify the position and stop it happening again. In the interim though.

The distinction will be that this wasn't a tribunal/MRO penalty so the same rules don't apply.

 

[doggiesin08]

No, you have to miss one game, playing the next day is not missing a game.

He has missed 10 games, it's just lucky the VFL side plays the day after the 10th, if it was the day before, he couldn't play.

Stephenson has to miss 10 games.

If he plays on Saturday (playing the next day) then by your logic he is not missing the Friday game and has only missed 9.

 

[LoungeLizard]

The Collingwood v Essendon AFL match is his 10th game he has missed.

 

[jimmy35]

That seems bizarre, surely you can't return till the following weekend?

You would think it would be 10 active rounds your club is involved in wouldn’t you. Seems a crazy loophole.

 

[00Stinger]

So it is now main board worthy to start threads about blokes coming back from suspensions.

 

[Chrispiesssss]

“Stephenson will still be allowed to train with Collingwood but won't be able to play in their next 10 matches. He will not be able to play in Collingwood's VFL team during this time.“

“10 matches” not 10 Rounds.

We play our 10th match on Friday.

 

[balmainforever]

The Collingwood v Essendon AFL match is his 10th game he has missed.

No. He’s only missed 9 games. The VFL is under the AFL banner and as such should be included in anything. A VFL suspension means you can’t play AFL next week.

 

[ash_1050]

Bit of an odd one if he was banned for 10 'weeks' it would include the Saturday and he shouldn't play.
If he was banned for 10 'games' then he's free to play on the Saturday and it's not an issue.

Without knowing which of the two he was suspended for it's hard to say as 'weeks' and 'games' are used interchangeably in the media.

 

[TwiggleyFanClub]

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