I think it was incidental contact and Cousins was just unlucky BUT the precedent is that if you go the bump instead of a tackle then you are accountable for any head high contact.
I think they will clear him though. They don't rub out superstars in crucial games.

Update: Buddy has been offered a one match ban with a guilty plea.

http://linky.com.au/52cjr

This is interesting as if he loses he will be out for 2. Now if the hawks are serious about 2009 they will fight it. But if they don't think they can do any damage this year maybe they will not fight it as the last thing they want is to have Buddy out for round one next year.

Fight it. Who cares if he misses round 1.

Take the 1 match ban!

Carn the Bombers!

"And yes I know this is a basketball forum but I know a lot of us like the AFL."

Don't worry, what do you think the AFL category is for.

Here's a fun fact, if the Crows and Pies both win this week by a combined margin of 130pts, the Crows go 4th. Hehehe.

Just quietly I think I'd rather play Essendon than Hawthorn in rd.1 as long as Paddy Ryder's still out so this Buddy ban helps us either way.

Why is round 1 of next year any more important than potentially missing a final?

He will dfinitely get outed, and if he fights he will lose. Why? He had the choice to tackle, and the fact he didn,t means there is intent. So it then comes down to whether contact was made to his head, and lets be honest, that is the most obvious part.

...just saw the Buddy report then. Cannot believe it, one of the softest reports I've seen in a while.

TC2;

Hawthorn have already started their end of season review. With their injuries there is no way they will do damage in 2009.

If Ben Cousins had not of gotten knocked out this would not even been a report ... Just shows how the AFL is too protective of thier "brand" ... The tribunal makes decisions on the damage the incident causes rather than the actual incident itself ....

Why shouldn't the damage it caused be taken in to account? While Buddy wasn't trying to hurt Cousins, the rules are clear that if you choose to bump and make head high contact you must be penalised.

That sort of bump has got potential to cause a serious/permanent injury and that is something the AFL has to consider. I don't agree with the current climate that would see the sport's ruling body being held accountable but unfortunately that is how things work nowadays.

They have set the rules in place, everyone knows the rules, the only thing the AFL has to worry about is consistently enforcing them...but thats another story.

Number 44, I think if you asked anyone involved with the AFL whether they would risk a player missing round one over playing in a final, they would opt to do whatever it took to get him in that final.

From what I saw, Cousins faked the hand ball, then fumbled the footy, then got bumped. Buddy might have thought Ben was handballing it off. Had he tackled him, it would have been holding the man. Bump was his only option if that was the case.

The head was contacted therefore its a minimum 1 game full stop, no questions.

Take the shame buddy :)

Buddy out for 2 weeks

(and Hardwick is Richmond coach)

Unfreakinbelievable.

Sad for the game.

Happy for the Bombers/Crows.

Bombers v Carlton more likely.

Crows are off to Brisbane. :-)

Nah skip, the Crows will beat Carlton by 70, the Collingwood will beat the Dogs by 60, putting the Crows into 4th ;)

2 weeks - couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

Update: Hawthorn are taking this one to the appeals board.

Well done Hawks! I hope for football's sake he gets off.

I hope he doesn't!

I despise Hawthorn with a passion and Buddy's head could do with some deflating.

I hate Buddy....I don't particularly like Hawthorn.

He doesn't deserve to be suspended when he played completely within the rules. The RESULT was not his to control.

Unfortunately in this day and age of preset criteria at the tribunal and their obvous inability to THINK about what they're doing, means they made a mistake..... But they will stand their guns and he will remain rubbed out.

I dont mind if they maybe drop it back to 1 game, anything to help the Bombers get over the line.

As a fan of Football though, it didnt even deserve a free kick (and didnt incur one).

Well the appeal failed and now Hawthorn are taking it further. Could not be happier with the way Kennett and co. are handling this.