St Kilda’s Dan Butler could face a nervous wait after committing a dangerous tackle on Sydney’s Nick Blakey in Friday night’s 14-point win (80-66) at the SCG.
With a free kick paid to the Swan after he was driven into the ground by the Saint, the question has been asked whether Butler will be suspended as many other players have been banned this year for dangerous tackles.
While Blakey was subbed off after the third-quarter incident, one thing that will play into Butler’s hands is that the Swan wasn’t concussed from the tackle with Sydney coach John Longmire stating post-match that it was a tactical decision to sub out the half-back.
“He passed his HIA, he’s fine,” Longmire said post-match.
“It was going to take 15 minutes from the time he was assessed to the time he would have been able to come back onto the ground.
“It was pretty critical at that point and he had a toe injury coming into the game.
“We had to get moving … 15 minutes is a good slab of time and with his toe being sore as well we had to make the change.”
While AFL great Dermott Brereton could see Butler being banned given precedence with similar MRO cases, he doesn't agree with the suggestion that the Saint made the tackle particularly dangerous.
“I don't agree with it (Butler being banned) because I reckon the momentum of coming forward (played a part) and I don't think he really assisted in the momentum,” he told AFL Nation.
“He went hard at it, but the drive with the same direction (of force) contributed.
“Blakey was running away from him, he chases him down from behind, he takes him down to the ground.
“So they're both moving in one direction and with that accelerated motion they come together, they combine together with that and he goes to ground, he pins him and they go to ground.
“There's no sling, there's no aggressive, ’I want to hurt you take down’, it was a tackling action.
“I can see how he could get sanctioned on it, but I don't agree with it.”
Butler will learn his MRO fate on Friday when Michael Christian hands down any sanctions from Thursday’s game.