GWS Giants forward Jeremy Cameron will be sidelined for the next five weeks, after the AFL Tribunal ruled that his strike on Brisbane Lions defender Harris Andrews was intentional.
On Monday, Match Review Officer Michael Christian released the match review statement which graded Cameron's offence as "intentional conduct, severe impact and high contact". Andrews had to be stretchered off the ground during the first quarter of last Saturday's match, after suffering a severe concussion. It was later that night that the Lions vice-captain had to be taken to hospital, where scans revealed a small bleed on his brain. At the Tribunal hearing on Tuesday night, Cameron pleaded not guilty to intentionally striking Andrews, believing that he used his arm to protect himself in the contest. Cameron and his representative Rob O'Neill argued that the charge should be judged as careless conduct. After a 33 minute deliberation, the Tribunal upheld their view that Cameron's act of raising his elbow in the contest, was intentional. AFL legal counsel Nick Pane QC argued that the minimum sanction for the incident should be graded as six matches, but O'Niell argued that four matches would be more appropriate. The Tribunal met in the middle, handing down a five-match ban to Cameron. Cameron spoke to reporters afterwards, stating that the hearing was "fair" and reiterated that the incident was unintentional. "I'd just like to say I didn't mean to hurt Harris," Cameron said. "Unfortunately I did. I'm very sorry for that and I hope he gets back to playing football very soon. "Like I said, my main concern is around Harris and his family. "I'm looking forward to seeing him back on the field, where he belongs." Cameron will miss the next five games for the Giants against Hawthorn, West Coast, Richmond, Port Adelaide and St Kilda. The 25-year-old will be available for selection in round 20 when the Giants face Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
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