The AFL will appeal the verdicts handed down to Carlton brothers Ed and Charlie Curnow, after they both escaped one-match sanctions for making intentional contact with an umpire during last Saturday's clash against Essendon at the MCG.
The Curnow brothers were referred directly to the Tribunal by Match Review Officer Michael Christian, who deemed both incidents as intentional contact with an umpire. The first incident to occur was Ed Curnow's contact, when he lightly touched the chest of umpire Nathan Williamson during the third quarter. About five minutes later, Charlie Curnow was trying to break up a scuffle between teammate Jed Lamb and Essendon defender Mark Baguley when he touched umpire Matt Stevic. Both Curnow brothers successfully argued on Tuesday night at the Tribunal that they made careless contact with the umpires, and not intentional contact. It only took 12 minutes before the Tribunal panel of Stewart Loewe, Jason Johnson and Wayne Henwood came to the decision that the two Carlton players would only receive a $1000 fine each and would be available for selection for round 9. Ed Curnow spoke to reporters after the Tribunal hearing, stating that he and his brother both "highly respect the umpires". "Tonight, we both understand the Tribunal's decision and we respect it and the process involved. I'd like to say we both highly respect the umpires and their position in the game as officiators and their importance to the game at all levels," Curnow said. Reaction from the public was mostly negative after the Tribunal hearing, including from AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley, who said on the show on Tuesday night that the game "can't just sit idly by", especially after Tom Hawkins received a one-match sanction for touching an umpire during the clash between Geelong and the Giants in round 7. "I think Steve Hocking has no choice tomorrow morning other than to appeal these -- he has no choice," Whateley said on Tuesday night. "I don't think the game can just sit idly by. "If they get rolled at the appeals board then so be it, but I think the AFL owes the game and owes every level of football the chance to re-hear the case and try their luck. "I don't think you can sit idly by and say from one week to the next our position has been moved so radically. "I do not understand why having worked so hard to move the game in a direction to a point where most of these issues were settled, you would give it back to the middle ground." Football operations general manage Steve Hocking made the decision to appeal both verdicts and described the sanctions imposed on the Carlton players as "manifestly inadequate". The Appeal hearing will be held on Thursday at 3pm AEST, but will not include an appeal to Gold Coast Suns co-captain Steven May, who also received a $1000 fine for making careless contact with an umpire.
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