Westhoff loses appeal
Port Adelaide will be without Justin Westhoff for Saturday’s home AFL match against Hawthorn after the key forward was found guilty of striking by the tribunal.
The Power challenged Westhoff’s one-match ban for striking Essendon key defender Cale Hooker.
Westhoff’s defence was that his conduct was reckless, rather than intentional, but the three-man jury took just four minutes to find against him.
There was no risk for the Power in taking the case to the tribunal.
His two-match ban was reduced to one game because of Westhoff’s six-year good record.
You might like
All that would have happened if Port had accepted the charge is that Westhoff would have less demerit points against him.
Westhoff testified that Hooker made a beeline for him at the end of the third term.
“There was going to be some sort of confrontation – neither of us was going to back down,” Westhoff said.
“I didn’t want to show any weakness.”
Stay informed, daily
Umpire Chris Kamolins reported Westhoff during the match and testified at the hearing, saying Hooker told him there was nothing in the incident.
“I’m disappointed to miss this weekend’s game,” said Westhoff after the hearing.
“Hopefully it’ll be a good game and they can get over the line and get a good win for the club.”
Westhoff was philosophical about the outcome and accepted the ruling of the tribunal with his trademark good nature.
“There’s rules they (the tribunal) have to go by and we brought our case up, they obviously didn’t agree with that,” he said.
“We’ll just take it (the result) for what it is and move forward.”
Westhoff pleaded guilty for ‘reckless’ – as opposed to the original charge of ‘intentional’ – striking.
His counsel Mark Griffin QC challenge the intentional and high nature of the charge handed down by the AFL Match Review Panel on Monday, arguing Westhoff had not intended to make high and forceful contact with Hooker.
But Andrew Tinney SC for the AFL argued that Westhoff had intended to make contact with his opponent and that the force and nature of the action was sufficient to constitute a strike.
The Power are eighth on the ladder, one game plus percentage ahead of ninth-placed West Coast.
