Patrick Cripps will miss Carlton’s final two AFL regular-season games after hitting Callum Ah Chi
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps will miss the final two crucial regular-season games for the Blues after failing to overturn accusations of rowdy conduct in court.
The Blues were desperate to have their star midfielder available for the season-defining matches against Melbourne and Collingwood.
However, the court upheld Cripps suspended for two games for bumping Lion concussions in Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee crash.
The Match Review Officer rated the incident as careless, high impact and high contact.
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AFL president Jeff Gleason said: “In another era, there would have been no reports, but under the current rules and guidelines, the issue is not trivial.”
“[Cripps] When he entered the contest at speed, he at least saw the player in his peripheral vision and jumped into the contest.
“Crips could and should have contested the ball in a different way that didn’t pose such a high and serious risk to his fellow players.
Cripps has said before that he wants to get Achie instead of damaging it.
“If you don’t have a collision, you can’t contest that ball,” the Blues midfielder told the court.
“In a fight the ball has to win, I try to get the ball.”
Fellow Carlton star Sam Walsh had expected full-back Jacob Waitering to replace him as the Crips’ captain early Tuesday.
The Blues, who are currently seventh with a record of 12-8, will need to win one of their two games to secure a place in the club’s first final since 2013.
Carlton can sneak into the Top 8 even if they lose to both the Demons and the Magpies, but will have to rely on the stumbling blocks of St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.
Kerry out of Western Derby
Meanwhile, West Coast midfielder Tim Kelly will miss Saturday night’s Western derby against Fremantle after failing to reverse a one-match suspension in court.
Kelly was charged by match review officers with a dangerous tackle on Adelaide youngster Sam Berry during the Eagles’ loss at Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Berry was unharmed in the incident, but Gleason ruled that he would likely have been injured in the tackle, and a “moderate impact” and subsequent ban was in force.
The Eagles (2-18) are without retired forward Josh Kennedy, who scored eight goals in last Sunday’s farewell game.
The West Coast still has a chance to secure a second wooden spoon in its proud history, sitting 17th on the top ladder in North Melbourne in percentage alone.
AAP
Patrick Cripps will miss Carlton’s final two AFL regular-season games after hitting Callum Ah Chi
Source link Patrick Cripps will miss Carlton’s final two AFL regular-season games after hitting Callum Ah Chi
