Van Rooyen banned three matches as tribunal rejects Melbourne's plea
Melbourne forward Jacob van Rooyen will miss the rest of the home-and-away season and at least two finals after the AFL tribunal upheld his three-match suspension for striking Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir.
The tribunal heard that van Rooyen concussed Aliir in a marking contest at Adelaide Oval, with the incident graded as severe impact and careless conduct. Van Rooyen, who is having a career-best season with 42 goals in 22 games, was charged with striking after his left arm swung into Aliir's head.
Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson KC rejected Melbourne's attempt to call a biomechanist to give evidence in van Rooyen's defence, ABC News reported. The club had argued that van Rooyen was genuinely attempting to mark the ball — a contest where a player leaps to catch a kicked ball on the full — and that his actions were not careless. The tribunal was not persuaded.
In its finding, the tribunal determined that van Rooyen's left-arm swing constituted a strike, and that shortly before impact he had ceased intending to mark the ball. The tribunal described van Rooyen's own evidence as "inconsistent," Fox Sports reported.
The impact on Aliir was found to be severe. The tribunal noted there was potential for further injury, including a facial fracture. Aliir was concussed on the play — a term used when a player suffers a brain injury from a blow to the head, requiring mandatory recovery protocols.
Van Rooyen will sit out Melbourne's final home-and-away game on Saturday against the Western Bulldogs. Because the three-match ban carries into the finals series, Melbourne would need to win two finals for him to be available again this season, ABC News reported. Melbourne failed in their bid to have the ban overturned or reduced, The Age reported.
Losing a forward who has kicked 42 goals this season is a significant blow to Melbourne's attacking structure at the pointy end of the year. Van Rooyen has been the club's most reliable goalkicker, and replacing that output across a must-win Saturday clash and potentially two finals is a tall order. For Aliir and Port Adelaide, the concussion will trigger the AFL's return-to-play protocols, which require a graduated recovery before a concussed player can resume contact training and games.
