AdminHawthorn player Jai Newcombe won’t get any punishment from the MRO for his collision with Collingwood’s main defender, Jeremy Howe, on Thursday night.
Howe and Newcombe ran into each other in the first minute of Collingwood’s big loss to Hawthorn, which left the 35-year-old Howe unconscious and with a concussion.
Newcombe was checked by team doctors after the tough hit but was found to be fine and continued to play for the rest of the game. In their announcement, the MRO explained why they made their decision about the incident.
“The two players were coming toward a loose ball from different sides. As the ball went to Howe, Newcombe chose to tackle him, and that’s when their heads bumped together,” the Match Review Officer said.
“The MRO believed that Newcombe’s tackle was reasonable for the situation and did not think it was a reportable offense. So, no further action was taken. “
On the other hand, Hawthorn’s forward Mabior Chol was not seen in the same light by the MRO, as he got a $3000 fine for rough play against Collingwood’s Daniel McStay in the first quarter, although this can be lowered to $2000 if he pleads early.
The MRO classified Chol’s actions as careless, with high contact but low impact. McStay also received a $3000 fine for tripping Hawthorn’s Nick Watson in the first quarter, which can be reduced to $2000 with an early plea. The MRO decided that was intentional, with low impact and body contact.
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