International Rules disciplinary system: GAA president Seán Kelly has called for reform of the disciplinary system governing International Rules.
The game's disciplinary tribunal meets this morning to consider the cases of two Australians, Mark Bickley and Matthew Scarlett, in respect of incidents during last Friday's first Test in Perth.
"We hope that the tribunal will take a very strong and firm line," said Kelly, "but they have to work within the regulations that are there at the moment and I feel maybe those regulations aren't stringent enough.
"We'll be talking to the AFL about that. I think that perhaps guys who offend - particularly grievously - should be penalised within their own code rather than confining it to the international series."
The Irish camp was particularly unhappy about the bloody nose given to Dessie Dolan by Scarlett when the players tangled in the inter-change zone. The incident wasn't picked up by match officials at the time but was subsequently taken up by AFL Investigations Officer Rick Lewis who interviewed a number of Irish players in the course of his inquiries.
Lewis's report has now been lodged with the tribunal, consisting of Croke Park's Games Officer Pat Daly, former AFL player Richard Loveridge, now a QC, and Andrew Gillen. They will also be considering Bickley's case - a dangerous tackle on Tom Kelly - which was referred by match referees Brian White and Stephen McBurney.
Kelly's comments on the desirability of extending suspensions to the AFL's own competitions follow in the wake of similar calls from former Australia coach Neil Kerley and prominent Sun-Herald columnist Mike Sheahan.
It's an idea that has yet to find favour, however, with the AFL.
"From our point of view the competitions are entirely separate," said AFL PRO Patrick Keane, "For instance, Jess Sinclair is serving a heavy suspension of five matches, which he picked up late in the season.
"We would only consider changing that if we felt that our players were too willing to turn to violent conduct. We don't think so. There's one player up before the tribunal and another being investigated and that's not an epidemic.
"Our view of last Friday was that it was an outstanding match of high quality. We've emphasised skill and discipline and feel we've improved in that area. If our players step outside the rules, they are punished by frees or in serious cases, suspension."
Questioned as to whether he believed Irish players were being deliberately targeted, Kelly said he did not.
"My view is from watching the practice match and last Friday it was individual outbreaks of indiscipline rather than a team plan. I doubt if it was intentional. I'd say it certainly wasn't a policy by the Australian management. Maybe that may have happened with individuals involved."
The president also commented on the case of Declan Browne, the Tipperary forward, who yesterday lost his battle to be fit for the second Test. Browne was injured by a reckless challenge in the practice match against a Western Australia selection last week in Perth.
Despite appearing to be rehabilitating well time ran out for the player yesterday when a scan revealed the injury, a dead leg, was deeper than thought with muscular bleeding that will now rule him out of Friday's match.
"What he (WA player Ashley Prescott) did was totally unjustified," said Kelly. "I saw it myself and no one could stand over that. It was a very mean tackle and he took Declan Browne out of it, hit him a terrible thump off the ball and it's something we wouldn't accept or tolerate."
