the whole situation is absolutely farcical and is typical of âIrishnessâ. Its an absolute joke. the hwole diciplinary set up, from club level to county level is ridiculous.
A lad will strike someone a headbutt, get sent off and will then appeal his supsension. Ah sure heâs a good chap really and hasnt done anything like that before. Bandage may know of the incident too that happened in a Wexford county final a few years back between the Sarsfields and Starlights. Niall Shiel was punched across his jaw/face from behind, and his eye socket shattered and was in bits. Nothing ever happened about it. The ref or umpire never saw it. But yet you have a player whose smashed face is there for all to see. It was well known who the player was, and he is a prominent player in Wexford sport currently. It was a disgrace, but its that kind of shite, or the same with Joe Canning getting done in the Galway final that sickens me. and then players appealing every fooking suspension because there are loopholes.
As some of ye may know, Iâd have a big interest in Aussie Rules, and the diciplinary systme there is so far ahead of us its unreal. Tehy do have diciplinary problems too, and to be honest, the set up with not sending players off is a strange one, but thats different story.
Basically, in AFL, if you fook someone out of it, the umpire will report the player. He takes out a notebook and writes down the players name and indiscretion and its known then he is being reported. They have classifications then for indiscretions. so for something small, you may get 50 points on your record. For big things, you may get 200. For each 100 you get, its a one game suspension. Players when reported can do 2 things, appeal or plead guilty. An early guilty plea means you get the minimum sanction that is there. So in most cases, it means players will get suspended. Sometimes tho, it will mean that by pleading guilty, you may get a points total less than 100, which stays on your record, but you dont get a suspension. The upshot tho of pleading guilty to a report tho is that you are ruled out of player of the year.
The other scenario is appealling. if yo appeal, you may get off, or get less points. however, as it is being brought to tribunal, there is a good chance they will increase your points total, effectivly for wasting their time. So by appealing, you run the risk of getting a longer suspension.
All this happens on the monday after all the weekends games. There is no bullshitting around, no wasting time or messing and players know the craic. You appeal only if its deserving of an appeal. No fooking Frank Murphy loopholes and bullshit like that.