Essendon coach and former AFL operations manager Brad Scott has called for a review of the League’s Tribunal system, describing it as overly punitive.
The Bombers will be without Harrison Jones for Saturday’s Dreamtime At the ‘G match against Richmond after the tall forward was suspended under the AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles. Jones received a one-game ban for his tackle on North Melbourne’s Zac Fisher.
Scott said the Bombers wanted to take the case to the Tribunal, involving a King’s Counsel and a biomechanist to review the incident. However, they were advised that there was no chance of success based on the current rules and Tribunal operations.
“We’re very disappointed,” Scott said on Wednesday. “I always emphasize controlling what you can, and as a coach, not a King’s Counsel or biomechanist, I have to accept the experts’ advice that there was zero chance of overturning the charge.”
Scott believes Jones’ suspension was unwarranted but acknowledged the limitations of the current system. “We didn’t think Harry Jones should have been suspended, but given the way the system is, we didn’t see a realistic chance to win an appeal,” he added.
As a former head of football operations at the AFL, Scott plans to push for a review of the match review and Tribunal system at the end of the season. “It feels like we’re fighting with both hands tied behind our back,” he said. “Our fans need to understand that the Tribunal operates on a ‘guilty unless proven innocent’ basis. The current system makes it very difficult to challenge MRO decisions.”
Jones’ suspension paves the way for Nate Caddy, Essendon’s top draft pick last November, to make his AFL debut. The 18-year-old has shown promise in the VFL, scoring eight goals in eight games this year, including three two-goal matches. Standing at 193 cm with a strong vertical leap, Caddy is a dual threat in the air and on the ground, having scored 25 goals in nine Coates Talent League matches in 2023.
Scott is also optimistic that Sam Durham will play in the Dreamtime match despite an ankle injury against North Melbourne. While Essendon is favored against the injury-riddled Tigers, Scott noted that Richmond’s sole win this season was against the top-ranked Sydney.
“People forget that Richmond beat Sydney, a week after we played them and thought they were the best team in the competition at that time,” Scott said. “Richmond still has a lot of quality players.”
