‘Can’t be allowed to stand’: AFL hosts unload after shock Tribunal finding over ‘king hit’Fox Sports
August 22nd, 2023 9:27 pmRichmond young gun Tyler Sonsie has escaped with a three-match ban for an ugly off-the-ball strike at VFL level on Sunday.
With his side leading by two goals late in the match, Sonsie appeared to lose his cool and lash out at North Melbourne opponent Tom Cappellari.
Vision shows the duo tangle over the boundary line in the match at the Swinburne Centre in Melbourne before Sonsie reacts.
Getting to his feet, Sonsie goes back at Cappellari and appears to land a blow to the chin of the Roo.
Cappellari is then seen clutching at his face on the turf.
The incident was graded intentional conduct with severe impact and high contact.
At the VFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, Sonsie pleaded guilty to striking, but successfully argued severe impact down to high.
That would usually result in a four-match sanction, but Sonsie’s guilty plea to the charge of striking meant the sanction was reduced to three matches.
It was a penalty dubbed “woefully inadequate” by AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley on Tuesday night and one that “can’t be allowed to stand”.
Co-host Mark Robinson agreed, labelling the decision “rubbish”.
“There’s some words being exchanged, but you’re not expecting someone ... you can’t walk up to a player and punch him in the face like that,” he said.
“James Sicily got three weeks for a tackle in an act of play. Whether you agree with it or not, we’re starting to get our heads around it but that (Sonsie’s strike) is a blatant act of violence on the football field.
“We have just been smashing two s***heads for bashing up Jack Ziebell and we have the same violence on the field and we get a three week suspension.
“I get so frustrated with the inconsistency of footy and the inconsistency of life.”
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2023-tyler-sonsie-punch-king-hit-vfl-tribunal-how-many-weeks-downgraded-reaction-angry-richmond/news-story/6f3c5c747ba8afcbeb41d71428f2ab43
