Tribunal reforms for 2006
3:30:33 PM Mon 6 February, 2006
Scott Spits
Sportal for afl.com.au
The AFL has made only minor changes to its tribunal procedures for 2006 after the special review of the landmark reforms introduced last season.
In what amounted to tinkering with the revamped system, the changes for 2006 based on feedback from all sections of the football community include:
* A change in the weighting for prior offences based on concerns that these may be excessive when combined with carry over points. In 2006 players will receive a 10 per cent loading for an offence for each match suspension beyond one match in the previous three AFL seasons. The maximum weighting a player can receive will be capped at 50 per cent.
Last year players received a 10 per cent loading for each one-match suspension, 20 per cent for each two-match suspension and 30 per cent for each suspension of three or more matches.
* Players will no longer be automatically disqualified for a 25 per cent discount for a good record if their only reportable offence in the past five years resulted in a financial penalty. This affects offences such as wrestling, participating in a melee or shaking a goalpost.
* The tribunal jury will be bound by the table of offences when classifying an offence, unless exceptional or compelling circumstances apply. Previously, when the tribunal classified an offence differently from the Match Review Panel, the suspension was left at the discretion of the tribunal.
* The deadline for the acceptance of an early plea has been extended from 10am to 11am on the day after the notification of a charge. This will give clubs extra time to assess an offer from the Match Review Panel, particularly the Western Australian clubs operating under a different time zone.
* Additional categories of misconduct have been added to the table of offences. These are spitting, contact with head - including face - and unreasonable and unnecessary contact with an injured player. This will enable the MVP to classify these offences, providing players with an option to enter an early plea rather than automatically having to face the tribunal.
* The activation points applicable to the location of an offence (either in-play or behind-play) have been changed so no points are added when an offence occurs in-play. Last year two activation points applied to behind-play incidents and one point applied to in-play incidents. Based on feedback, the AFL agreed an extra loading should not be applied to in-play incidents.
* The stated definitions of behind play and the classifications of intentional, reckless or negligent have also been expanded and clarified at the request of AFL clubs.
Behind play means not within close proximity to the ball and (a) occurring at any location which could not reasonably be regarded as an option for delivery of the ball, by a person in control of the ball or who is likely to gain control of the ball; and (b) occurring during times when play has stopped, including the breaks between quarters or after the final siren.
The definition of behind play also confirms that incidents will not be regarded as behind play if they occur as part of what could be reasonably regarded as an option for the next passage of play.
Intentional means a deliberate desire to commit a reportable offence. It requires evidence, drawn from observations of a player's behaviour that the player set out to commit a reportable offence.
Reckless differs from intentional in that a player does not need to show a deliberate desire to commit a reportable offence.
Negligent means the failure to take due care to avoid any consequences that could reasonably be foreseen to result in a reportable offence. Negligent is different from intentional and reckless in that it does not require a deliberate desire to commit a reportable offence or a reckless disregard for whether or not the action resulted in a reportable offence.
* The definition of an AFL year has also been amended. The league will look at the relevant round (rather than relevant date) as a fairer way of assessing a player's prior record and determining when carry-over points expire.
* The extent to which clubs and players are permitted to use examples from the 2006 Tribunal DVD and any other cases in the relevant year will be the subject of guidelines to be issued by Tribunal Chairman, David Jones QC.
AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the tinkering with the system, based on feedback from the football community had been done to improve the transparency, efficiency and fairness of the system.
He was pleased with the amount of positive feedback from parties with vested interests.
"A key outcome of the review has been the success of the new tribunal system and the overwhelming support for the new system received from our clubs, the players' association and other members of the football community," Anderson said.
"The AFL Tribunal will always be controversial. There will always be cases where people don't want to see their players suspended and they will always be emotional and that will never change.
"But what we did have was a significant reduction in the number of tribunal hearings and significantly improved transparency and efficiency."
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=244677
