Western Bulldogs recruit James Harmes has been offered a one-match ban for headbutting his premiership teammate Steven May in Sunday’s loss to Melbourne at the MCG.
Harmes made contact with May after he was caught holding the ball by Jack Billings. The Dog pushed his head into May after he was shoved while he was on the ground.
May pointed to the umpire after the contact was made but no 50-metre penalty was called.
The MRO graded the incident as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.
SEN host Sam Edmund said the pair laughed off the incident after the clash on Sunday.
“James Harmes has been offered the one-week ban for his headbutt on his former teammate, and they are good mates as well, Steven May,” Edmund told SEN Sportsday.
“The pair laughed it off at the final siren yesterday, but they had a bit of a running feud going on at the MCG.
“May even grabbed his face to claim he'd been headbutted.
“After Malcolm Rosas has copped the one-week ban for a very similar incident, the Western Bulldogs had been bracing for the worst.
“So one week offered to him.”
Harmes will miss the Dogs’ game against Gold Coast in Ballarat on Sunday if he accepts the decision.
James Harmes has been handed a one-match suspension following this incident with Steven May.
— AFL (@AFL) March 18, 2024
Full Sunday Match Review findings: https://t.co/Qm40ItoMWD pic.twitter.com/LCQ6aigulr
Harley Reid (umpire contact), Ollie Wines (umpire contact), Jack Petruccelle (umpire contact), Elliot Yeo (tripping), Michael Walters (tripping) and Matthew Johnson (rough conduct) were also fined for other Sunday Round 1 incidents.
