St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster is facing a lengthy ban after his head-high bump on North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin.
The Saints defender caught the Kangaroos co-captain in the head when he opted to leave the ground and bump during Sunday’s AAMI Community Series clash at RSEA Park.
There has already been plenty of debate since the incident occurred, with Roos great and leading analyst/commentator David King calling for a hefty 10-week ban for Webster.
“Ten weeks. Simple as that. I just hope Jy Simpkin is ok. Just so unnecessary. I hope we aren’t still having this conversation anymore in ‘24,” King posted on X.
See the incident below:
Jy Simpkin has left the field following this bump from Jimmy Webster.#AFLSaintsNorth pic.twitter.com/UGDuSh7emB
— AFL (@AFL) March 3, 2024
SEN’s Sam Edmund reported last week that a “fresh amendment” from the AFL “makes clear that previous match review decisions or tribunal hearings have no bearing on new cases”.
MAJOR CHANGE TO TRIBUNAL GUIDELINES ALLOWS AFL TO PUSH FOR HEAVIER POWELL-PEPPER BAN
With that in mind, Nathan Buckley and Kane Cornes to discuss the severity of what will be a definite suspension, with the mark of six weeks appearing a possibility.
Buckley drew comparisons to the four-week penalty Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper received for his bump on Adelaide’s Mark Keane.
“I thought Powell-Pepper’s was two (weeks), maybe three,” said Buckley on SEN Breakfast.
“When it came down as four I thought, ‘Ok, we’re on here’.
“Jimmy Webster was aware of that. All AFL players are aware of the way that came down. I was really surprised to see a player do what Jimmy Webster did.
“I see that as at least twice as bad as what Powell-Pepper did in his actions.
“When you weigh up Sam Powell-Pepper and Webster’s, how could you give Powell-Pepper four and only give Webster six?
“They’re massive penalties. Whatever Webster cops above six is massive.
“But you put it against Powell-Pepper, who got four. Four is massive, it’s unbelievable how big that penalty was.”
For mine this is one of the issues of hedging SPP’s action at 4 weeks. Webster action was at least twice as bad in my view. Does that mean it’s an 8 week penalty?
— Nathan Buckley (@ncb_cfc) March 3, 2024
Cornes believes the fact we’re even talking about such a significant suspension suggests the AFL is taking head knocks that lead to concussion much more seriously in 2024.
He referenced a number of recent incidents, highlighted by Geelong defender Tom Stewart’s four-week ban for a bump on Richmond’s Dion Prestia in 2022, and Collingwood midfielder Jordan De Goey’s hit on West Coast’s Elijah Hewett which led to a three-game ban last season.
The bump of Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett on Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Smith, which resulted in two weeks on the sidelines in 2023, was also taken into account when Cornes was pondering a sanction for Webster.
“It’s amazing how quickly it has changed,” Cornes said.
“People say you can’t use past ones as a precedent, but I think you have to.
“In 2022, Tom Stewart got four weeks (for his hit) on Prestia. What is that now? Is that 10 (weeks)? Because that’s worse than what Webster did.
“It has changed so quickly. It’s like saying last year you’re going to get three demerit points for a speeding fine, and then without telling anyone you get done a few months later because it’s a new year and they take seven demerit points off you.
“I get all of it, but to think a 10-week suspension for that after Jordan De Goey got three or Kozzie Pickett with two, would be unfair. Pickett’s was a violent act. There was no concussion involved but he got two weeks and this was last year.
“I think it probably lands at six, we all move on, nobody is going to complain about six and hopefully it doesn’t happen again.
“But it just goes to show how far we were behind last year. Jordan De Goey left his feet, bumped a young kid high who was knocked out and left the field, and he got three weeks.
“Now we’re saying the same incident, or very similar, someone is going to get six (weeks).”
Cornes cannot see how Webster will be given any more than six weeks after referencing Patrick Dangerfield’s high elbow in Nick Vlastuin in the 2020 Grand Final which went unpenalised.
“Just how much it has changed from the Dangerfield collision in the 2020 Grand Final where he raised his elbow, knocked a player out cold and got nothing,” he continued.
“That’s only a few years ago, so I think the AFL has done a pretty good job of showing that they’re serious.
“But to think anything more than six off the back of what we saw last year, to think we’re going to double a penalty for a similar incident would be a big move.”
Webster will learn his MRO fate later on Monday with the incident likely to be sent straight to the Tribunal.
