‘Exceptional and compelling circumstances’ see Cameron freed at tribunal

Brisbane star Charlie Cameron is free to face Geelong on Saturday after the AFL tribunal used its discretion to show his one-game suspension right into a positive.

Cameron challenged the ban he initially obtained for a dumping deal with on Melbourne’s Jake Lever in Brisbane’s upset victory on the MCG.

On Tuesday night time the tribunal dismissed his argument that the influence of the incident ought to have been graded as “low” somewhat than “medium”.

However the tribunal — led by chairman Jeff Gleeson — discovered “distinctive and compelling circumstances” to make use of its discretion to show the ban right into a positive, citing Cameron’s clear report all through his 207-game profession.

The decision leaves Cameron free to face the Cats on the Gabba, the place he’ll get to proceed his streak of 123 consecutive video games.

Gleeson mentioned the incident was careless however on the decrease finish of seriousness, and famous Cameron needed to full the deal with in a rotating method to keep away from Lever — who’s 20kg heavier than him — crushing him as a consequence of momentum.

Character references from Adelaide and Carlton champion Eddie Betts and an Indigenous elder additionally helped sway the tribunal, however they had been most taken by his earlier disciplinary report.

The tribunal additionally famous that Lever was unhurt within the incident.

“His 207 video games suspension-free places him in a really small minority … solely 668 gamers of the 13,125 who’ve performed the sport on the elite stage have performed 200 video games,” Gleeson mentioned.

Brisbane sought to have the influence grading lessened from medium to low, which might let Cameron escape with a positive, regardless of his responsible plea.

Cameron argued Lever’s momentum brought on him to “lose management of the deal with”, however mentioned he had added no additional pressure, whereas noting the Demon defender had an arm free to interrupt his fall.

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He identified that Lever threw his head up after it hit the bottom, however mentioned he was trying on the umpire for a free kick and it wasn’t the pressure of the deal with that had brought on his head to bounce.

Tribunal counsel Sally Flynn mentioned it was the potential to trigger harm that warranted the medium grading, labelling the deal with “inherently harmful”.

Lever’s “susceptible” place, the angle and rotation of the deal with and the extent of the pressure had been relied on to argue for medium influence.

Cameron regarded again to his finest as he slotted three objectives within the Lions’ win in opposition to the Demons.

The Lions will now have the goalsneak’s companies for Saturday night time’s blockbuster with Geelong, when Brisbane will look to construct on a two-game profitable streak.

AAP