No surprises here.
AFL clubs shy away from tribunal challenges Bruce Matthews
From: Herald Sun
March 24, 2012 CLUBS are spooked by their rapidly diminishing success rate at the AFL Tribunal.
The three-man jury had to adjudicate on 15 cases last season, the fewest since the new tribunal system was introduced for the 2005 season.
Only three players had their penalties overturned from those challenges.
Collingwood's Chris Dawes and Sydney's Ted Richards each beat one-game bans for striking and rough conduct early in the season. And young Fremantle midfielder Nathan Fyfe's $1800 fine for an colliding with an umpire was struck out.
Three other players managed to get reductions in their penalties in a season in which the rotating panel of former players, who form the jury, showed little mercy.
And reluctance by clubs to fight has continued unabated this season, even when four players were suspended from 17 charges during the NAB Cup. Port Adelaide's John Butcher had a mini-victory this week when he convinced the tribunal to overturn a $1200 melee fine.
Only eight clubs attempted to fight suspensions from the 178 match review panel verdicts that forced players to sit out a total of 72 games in 2011.
Club officials are reluctant to comment on the tribunal's hard line for fear of reprisals, but there's concern players are now being discouraged from attempting to prove their innocence.
Simply, clubs believe supporting a player to appear at Tuesday night hearings is a waste of time and the substantial money to engage legal representation.
The tribunal sat only 11 times despite the AFL budgeting for at least one hearing following each round.
While the drastic decrease in tribunal hearings is a welcome improvement on the often time-wasting 123 cases in 2004, just prior to the demerit points system being introduced, the question is whether the streamlined process has gone too far.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/afl-clubs-shy-away-from-tribunal-challenges/story-fnctrk3q-1226308602917
