North Melbourne's Luke Parker hits out at Paul Curtis' three-match AFL ban
North Melbourne veteran Luke Parker might find himself facing a 'please explain' from the AFL after he mocked the AFL Tribunal following Paul Curtis' failed appeal against a three match ban.
In a blow to the battling Kangaroos, who are 17th with one win, the tribunal found Curtis' tackle that concussed Port Adelaide's Josh Sinn was unreasonably dangerous.
Sinn was concussed when his head hit the ground in the second-term tackle in the Power's nine-point win last Saturday.
Parker, who joined the Roos from the Swans this season, posted his disapproval on Instagram.
'Please attend our touch football game this Thursday night vs Essendon #nomoretackling,' he posted on an image of the club's post about the ban being upheld.
Fans backed Parker's cheeky dig on X as the image was shared widely.
Earlier, AFL counsel Sally Flynn said the Curtis tackle was unreasonable given it pinned Sinn's arms.
'He (Sinn) really had no opportunity to be able to brace,' Flynn told the hearing.
She maintained the severe impact of the tackle also had to be weighed in to the penalty.
'Sinn was visibly affected by his head hitting the ground ... the impact should be classified as severe,' Flynn said.
Curtis' counsel Justin Graham KC argued the 22-year-old Roo stopped and dropped his weight, with his knees to the side of Sinn during the tackle.
'Joshua's knees then plug into the turf ... (it) causes them to lunge forward and Joshua's head makes forceful contact with the ground,' Graham said.
'There was no slinging and there was no driving motion involved.'
Graham contested the grading of impact as severe, the highest of the four levels, adding there was 'no rough conduct because the tackle was not unreasonable in the circumstance'.
The tribunal panel Jeff Gleeson, Paul Williams and David Neitz deliberated for about 30 minutes before returning a verdict.
'Curtis did not need to propel Sinn forward with such force,' Gleeson said.
'Curtis could have, but did not, make a significant attempt to roll to the side.
'Prudent players are today well aware that tackling a player from behind when both the tackler and the ball carrier have some momentum carries a risk of causing a concussion if care is not taken to avoid or minimise that risk.
'Curtis did not do nearly enough to address that risk.'
Curtis will miss matches against Essendon, Brisbane and Richmond.
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