Suns to Fight Bailey Humphrey Ban as Comben Cleared
The Gold Coast Suns are preparing to challenge a two-match suspension handed down to their promising young player, Bailey Humphrey. The club has lodged an appeal against the rough conduct ban, which stems from an incident during their recent dominant victory over Richmond. Meanwhile, North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben has seen his own match-day report for striking dismissed.
Humphrey was cited for a sling tackle on Richmond’s Maurice Rioli during the Suns’ commanding 68-point win on Saturday. The AFL’s Match Review Officer (MRO) classified the action as careless conduct with high impact and high contact.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick was quick to voice his disagreement with the suspension following the match. “No, I wouldn’t have thought so. It should have been holding the ball,” Hardwick stated, suggesting the incident should have been penalised differently, if at all.
As it stands, the suspension would see Humphrey miss the Suns’ upcoming fixtures against Melbourne and Sydney after the league’s third-round bye. This comes at a critical time for the Suns, who are already grappling with the absence of star player Matt Rowell, sidelined with a finger injury. Furthermore, key recruit Christian Petracca is out with a hamstring issue, compounding the club’s woes for the clash against the Demons. The Suns will be eager to have Humphrey available, especially given his potential importance in these upcoming games.
A key factor that may weigh in Humphrey’s favour during the tribunal hearing is that Rioli was not seriously injured by the tackle. Richmond coach Adem Yze confirmed this after the game, noting, “He was fine. He played out the game … and he was one of our better contributors in the last quarter.” This suggests the impact, while deemed high, did not result in significant harm to the opposition player.
Charlie Comben’s Report Dismissed
In a separate case, North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben has been cleared of any wrongdoing. He was reported during the Kangaroos’ 17-point loss to West Coast on Sunday for an alleged striking incident involving young Eagles star Harley Reid.
The report concerned an incident that occurred after the three-quarter time siren. Comben was standing his mark as West Coast’s Elliot Yeo kicked a goal. Following this, Comben became involved in a collision with the oncoming Harley Reid. While high contact was made, the MRO ultimately determined that Comben’s actions did not constitute a strike.
According to an AFL statement, the review found that Reid initially ran towards Yeo before sharply changing direction and heading towards Comben. Comben, who was in a stationary position, reportedly raised his arms to a chest-high level in an attempt to protect himself from the approaching Reid. As Reid closed in at speed, he lowered his body, resulting in high contact. The MRO concluded that Comben’s actions were defensive and did not meet the criteria for a strike, leading to the report being thrown out and no further action being taken. This decision will be a relief for the Kangaroos, who will have Comben available for selection.
