RECAP: Hawkins' Tribunal case as it happened Nick Bowen's blog from the Tribunal as star Cat is banned May 8 2018 4:49 PMTom Hawkins facing the Tribunal for umpire contactWATCH: Hawkins explains contact post-matchWatch the Hawkins incidentShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkAFLMay 8 2018 5:43 PMHawkins says he totally respects the role of umpires in the game and accepts his one-game suspension was appropriate. That's all for me. We'll have more on AFL.com.au shortly. Thanks for joining us. See you next time.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:37 PMI'll duck outside now to see whether Hawkins has anything to say to the mediaShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:36 PMSurprise, surprise, a one-match ban for HawkinsShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:36 PMBack in after just three minutes.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:32 PMTribunal members have retired to consider their verdict. Expect we'll have a result in just a few minutes.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:29 PMBoth sides have finished their evidence. Chairman Ross Howie now addressing Tribunal jury members Michael Jamison, Richard Loveridge and David Neitz.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:27 PMIhle: anything more than one week would be excessiveShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:27 PMIhle: says another appropriate penalty would be a substantial fine.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:26 PMIhle: any reasonable player who looks through what Tom has gone through since Friday night, that level of pressure and anxiety is not an inconsiderable aspect of the penalty. Hawkins agrees that a one-week suspension is in the realms of appropriate penalties for this type of case.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:24 PMIhle: Hawkins has never previously touched an umpire in 200 AFL games. Umpire didn't lose his feet, balance wasn't affected. There was no risk of injury to the umpire which can be contrasted with careless contact cases. He is deeply disappointed in himself.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:22 PMIhle: to Hawkins' credit that it was an emotion-charged environment and he was making his way out of that environment. Does not turn around to engage with GWS players. Margetts charges in, raises hand towards Hawkins' chest. Not to say Margetts at blame in any way, but Hawkins immediate reaction is, in that split-second, brushes hand away. Did so in an unthinking way, but concedes that doesn't mean it wasn't intentional. His action was what he's instructed to do when players get in his face; a sweeping the hand away motion.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:19 PMIhle - Hawkins is concerned about the circumstances in which his action occurred. Has watched the video time and time again to try and make since of what he did. A reactionary split-second decision.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:18 PMBen Ihle says Hawkins agrees action was done in frustration, but does not accept it was done in anger. Was aware he'd done the wrong thing immediately, had crossed the line. Apologised to umpire Margetts twice during the game.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:16 PMGleeson: a contact that was made in frustration and anger, in a hostile environment, and was not done in jest.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:15 PMGleeson would have argued for a two-week suspension had Hawkins not pleaded guilty. Deserves credit for having pleaded guilty. Has accepted the significance of what he did, and admits he got it wrong.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:14 PMGleeson one-week is an appropriate sanction because more serious than careless contact, which attracts a fine. A larger fine not appropriate because difference between intentional and careless is a "a quantum leap" that warrants the jump from a suspension to a fine. It was a remonstration with physical contact.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:11 PMGleeson says Hawkins' action warrants a one-week suspension nonetheless.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:10 PMGleeson says the force of the intentional contact was very much at the lower end of the scale. The force was quite minimal, it wouldn't have hurt the umpire at all.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:09 PMGleeson QC has briefly led Tribunal through video of Hawkins' contact with umpire Dean Margetts. Now dealing with penaltyShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:08 PMGiven both Jeff Gleeson QC for the AFL and Ben Ihle for Hawkins have agreed a one-match suspension is the appropriate penalty, this seems a formality. The Tribunal will still have to rubber-stamp this recommendation though.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:05 PMLawyers for both sides have had discussions. Will both argue the appropriate suspension is one weekShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:05 PMHawkins has agreed to plead guiltyShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenMay 8 2018 5:04 PMHi, Nick Bowen here at the AFL Tribunal. About to get underway in Tom Hawkins hearing on the charge of intentionally making contact with an umpire.ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedInPermalinkNick BowenPowered by
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