IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Good on Everitt for looking after him... and well done to the Tigers for his defence. Also thanks to Simon Madden.
Now just the kneeing charge to go.. this IMO should be thrown out in 10 minutes!
Onya Spider, though I guess he only stated the truth when all's said and done.
What concerned me was Brian Collis QC interupting Spider's evidence to say that it's not everyday your jaw is broken.
The nature of the injury has to be irrelevant. It's the action that was being judged Mr QC.
Yahoo, glad Staff was cleared of these charges but I can't help thinking he shouldn't have been there in the first place. This week has been trial by media in overdrive.
A few journos are looking a bit silly atm, proudly led by G Healey.
Stafford cleared of two charges
7:22:17 PM Wed 30 April, 2003
afl.com.au
Richmond ruckman Greg Stafford has been cleared at the AFL Tribunal of two charges arising from the match against Hawthorn at the MCG last Saturday.
In a much-publicised case from the MCG last Saturday, Stafford's forearm made contact with Hawthorn ruckman Peter Everitt at a centre bounce-down and Everitt was forced to leave the field with a fractured cheekbone.
But the tribunal cleared Stafford of the charge, saying they were not satisfied the action was reckless or deliberate.
He was also cleared of the charge of misconduct in that he kneed Hawk Nick Stone during the final quarter.
In the lead up to the Staff trial pretty much all of us maintained that:
a. he was innocent, and
b. he'd get a few week off cos the AFL is as weak as...
but, the AFL didnt give in to the media frenzy and stood tall - I (in fact pretty much all of us) was wrong. I think this is a good time to remember there are some good people in AFL house.
Also, thank you to Essendon for releasing their Ruck coach to give the expert testimony that cleared our Staff.