Feel free to merge this with another thread if appropriate.

"Contact between Collingwood’s Nathan Brown and Melbourne’s Colin Sylvia from the second quarter of Monday’s match was assessed. Melbourne had possession of the ball on its wing area and Sylvia and Brown were running deep into the Melbourne forward line. As the pair of players were heading towards goal, Brown pushes Sylvia in the chest and there was a clash of heads. It was the view of the panel that Brown’s action was an attempt to block Sylvia from making position in the forward line and the head contact was an accidental clash that could not be reasonably foreseen. No further action was taken.

Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network"

It appears you can do anything to Sylvia off the ball and get away with it. Kennedy of the Eagles broke his nose off the ball a couple of years ago, no report. Here the facts are twisted to suit a no report once again. Look at the vision and you will see that Brown ran at Sylivia, well off the ball, who turns around and is collected. Bloodied nose and mouth and forced to the ground and then off to be cleaned up.

I agree with Robbo on AFL 360 last night who said, that it was a deliberate act off the ball, with a then clash of heads which was probably accidental, but that the instigator is responsible for that and should be cited. Clearly not when it is Sylvia.

The look on Sylvia's face says everything. This was no 'accident'.

Disgraceful decision ... again.

Nathan "Barry Hall" Brown?

Kennedy breaks his jaw - no suspension

Butcher fractures his back - no suspension

Brown breaks his nose - no suspension

Either someone at AFLHQ really hates our man Col or he is the unluckiest player alive.

And the Nicholson hit doesn't seem to have even been worthy of attention. That's also laughable.

Looks like Col didn't get cited for his hit on Tom Young in the marking contest - I'll take the nil-all draw.

i saw it happen i thought he had poked syvia in the eye at first...

But that is the work of a clenched fist

open slather from now on.

Fringe players like Dunn need to whack people and cop a few weeks.

Lets keep em em honest.

  On 12/06/2012 at 06:50, Wilbur said:

i saw it happen i thought he had poked syvia in the eye at first...

But that is the work of a clenched fist

Pretty sure they clashed heads, but the contact was initiated by Brown - Sylvia was in front of him looking upfield when Brown inexplicably decided to run directly at Sylvia in an aggressive manner (the ball was stationery up the ground so not sure why?) - Sylvia turned around to double-back and his face clashed right into Brown's head. Probably not "suspension worthy" but I don't know what Brown was trying to do - if Sylvia didn't turn around he could've very well cleaned him up from behind.

How would you classify it? http://www.afl.com.au/tribunal%20system/tabid/13707/default.aspx

  On 12/06/2012 at 06:33, Tassie Devil said:

And the Nicholson hit doesn't seem to have even been worthy of attention. That's also laughable.

Are you referring to the clash of heads? Nothing to report there.

  On 12/06/2012 at 06:27, Range Rover said:

The look on Sylvia's face says everything. This was no 'accident'.

Disgraceful decision ... again.

Great look for football from an incident 100 yards off the ball.

Any news on Tapscott? Was he actually reported yesterday?

  On 12/06/2012 at 06:32, Dr. Gonzo said:

Kennedy breaks his jaw - no suspension

Butcher fractures his back - no suspension

Brown breaks his nose - no suspension

Either someone at AFLHQ really hates our man Col or he is the unluckiest player alive.

Perhaps someone on the MRP is close with Elise Whichello?!

After watching it on TV last night I thought there was nothing in it.

  On 12/06/2012 at 08:00, ThePassenger said:

Any news on Tapscott? Was he actually reported yesterday?

1 week.

Nothing in it. It was an accidental head clash off the ball when Sylvia quickly changed direction.

  On 12/06/2012 at 11:40, Ben-Hur said:

Nothing in it. It was an accidental head clash off the ball when Sylvia quickly changed direction.

It was effectively a king hit because CS was looking at the ball 50 metres away .

Maybe poor little Colin needs to stand up for himself so those big mean boys stop doing that to him for no reason....

  On 12/06/2012 at 11:40, Ben-Hur said:

Nothing in it. It was an accidental head clash off the ball when Sylvia quickly changed direction.

I tend to agree but why did Brown make that move towards him just before Sylvia turned around and clashed heads?

The funny thing is..if you block a player in a contest when the ball isn't within 5 meters its a free kick. But if you block someone when the ball is 100m away and you are a Filth player, who then headbutts his opponent its pay on and also not reportable.

  On 12/06/2012 at 12:19, Biffen said:

It was effectively a king hit because CS was looking at the ball 50 metres away .

Biff, if you disagree with me then I feel pretty comfortable with my version of events.

In a real court the impact to the victim is taken into account on sentencing .

Jay Vineys jaw= Wojo back out playing before JV has healed.

CS back= slap on the wrist but Col out for 8 weeks

CS nose= ok we wont bring up your late hit(in play) if your ignore the broken nose out of play.

JT sling= 3 weeks but Dangerfield playing next match.

Buddy Sling= keep filling the stands and the papers mate and we'll let it slide.

I cant wait till we are a powerful club again and things start to go our way .

  On 12/06/2012 at 11:40, Ben-Hur said:

Nothing in it. It was an accidental head clash off the ball when Sylvia quickly changed direction.

I can see where you are coming from as the head clash was accidental. The problem is that the AFL rules say, that a player who has a choice to do something other than what he did, which ends up in a head injury even though that part is accidental, is guilty of an offence. Brown didn't have to run at a bloke looking the other way and block him, he could have pushed him for example in the side. He chose to do a body block and then the accidental head clash makes him guilty of an offence. It is the AFL rule not mine. That is just the way it is, except of course when the player hit is Sylvia.

Question: if that had happened to Dale Thomas would it be the same result.

It is really up to the AFL to work out their own rules. My problem is the inconsistent way they apply them.

You really have to start asking qestions when Col Sylvia has had a list of injuries which includes:

• Broken Jaw
  
• Fractured vertebrae
  
• Broken nose
  

and no one has even been charged with an offence. It's an absolute falure in my opinion of the AFL and MRP to protect this player. That two of those incidents have been to the "sacrisanct" head area is even more baffling!