8 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Character references during sentencing are generally from a friend or family member who have known the accused for their whole life. Turnbull wouldn't have even known who Houli was until he shook his hand when he and Houli attended a function together earlier in the week.

Turnbull's speech would have also been written by someone else, it's quite pathetic that an excerpt of the speech was allowed to be admitted during the hearing. 

The system is in need of a massive overhaul and restructure (but we already knew is).

But the Academy  ,the Academy, you know the one that has helped thousands of children play football separately from the racist children.Basher did that .And the much needed prayer room for the devout you see everywhere at footy games.

He has had to battle ignorance and prejudice you see.

Where is your pity??

If Waleed is backing him it's fine.(Waleed would never excuse violence would he) 

Not only is it pathetic to paraphrase the PM without permission - it's dishonest and deceptive.

Edited June 28, 20178 yr by Biffen

Dishonesty and Deception two of the tools of trade of the AFL.

Other tools run it !!

I'd like to see Bitter But Optimistic give Houli a character reference at the the appeal.

He'd get 10 weeks and a jolly good flogging.

4 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

I'd like to see Bitter But Optimistic give Houli a character reference at the the appeal.

He'd get 10 weeks and a jolly good flogging.

He might never play again

(and still get a jolly good flogging)

For those who saw it, that post and the replies that followed are gone and the offender permanently banned.

Very touchy this thread.

Its a fact that this MRP decision is a first. It's unprecedented that the AFL is appealing its own tribunal decision. 

Why you might ask? Good question and one it seems we aren't allowed to delve into too much here.

But it will be interesting when Houli runs out again and there is boo-ing. I envisage another Adam Goodes scenario and a media beat up

AFL: If the Board believes character evidence should come into account, it should limit Houli's penalty to four weeks rather than bringing the penalty under four weeks. However, it's irrelevant to look at Houli's off-field record.

17 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Very touchy this thread.

Its a fact that this MRP decision is a first. It's unprecedented that the AFL is appealing its own tribunal decision. 

Why you might ask? Good question and one it seems we aren't allowed to delve into too much here.

But it will be interesting when Houli runs out again and there is boo-ing. I envisage another Adam Goodes scenario and a media beat up

Why would anyone boo him?

7 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Why would anyone boo him?

Same reason I booed Barry Hall when he wasn't suspended for the GF.

i don't like protected species.

21 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Why would anyone boo him?

Couldn't for the life of me wonder why. 

 

Just one of those things footy oafs do I guess. Houli wasn't on the tribunal last time I checked. It makes absolutely no sense to boo him.

35 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Same reason I booed Barry Hall when he wasn't suspended for the GF.

i don't like protected species.

Houli was suspended.

Who copped the permanent ban? 

The AFL isn't doing too well at the Appeal.  Houli's lawyer is really stiching them up.

The AFL lawyer appears to have stuffed up the initial Tribunal hearing.  It is my guess he took the outcome of 4 weeks for granted and has now tried to present new evidence and question evidence that he failed to do at the Tribunal. 

If the 2 weeks stand, justice will have been done but I doubt it will be seen to have been done and a right royal hornet's nest has been opened! 

Edited June 29, 20178 yr by Lucifer's Hero

5 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Who copped the permanent ban? 

This question won't get answered. Privacy reasons.

26 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Houli was suspended.

Who ever said he wasn't?

Protected species is what I said and compared it to Hall who should have been suspended but also got a ridulously lenient penalty.

I booed Hall I will boo Houli unless things change drastically.

It seems to me you are trying to play indemnity politics and think Houli should be excempt from being booed just because of his religion. Players have been booed for 100 years I don't care about there race, sexuality or religion.

 

19 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The AFL isn't doing too well at the Appeal.  Houli's lawyer is really stiching them up.

The AFL lawyer appears to have stuffed up the initial Tribunal hearing.  It is my guess he took the outcome of 4 weeks for granted and has now tried to present new evidence and question evidence that he failed to do at the Tribunal. 

If the 2 weeks stand, justice will have been done but I doubt it will be seen to have been done and a right royal hornet's nest has been opened! 

The AFL @#&*ing something up...gotta be new territory there 

I think when I saw the incident the first time I immediately thought four weeks, two weeks doesn't feel enough. Good character shouldn't be relevant, I think they should just look at the act, the act alone is worse than two weeks. 

Good character shouldn't reduce the penalty by two weeks 

Gone for four weeks 

Houli gets four weeks.

Bit surprised.  Following the case suggested otherwise. 

AFL pulling strings again as it did with the Tribunal during the ESS drugs hearing.

Nothing changes!

 

Edited June 29, 20178 yr by Lucifer's Hero

36 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Just one of those things footy oafs do I guess. Houli wasn't on the tribunal last time I checked. It makes absolutely no sense to boo him.

Poor old Houli. Only footy oafs would dislike a coward punch.

houli will get booed (among other reasons) for his thuggish action and it's impact on lamb

Deserved four weeks.  Good bloke or not, he whacked someone for no reason on the footy field and knocked him out.  You do the crime, you do the time.

What a circus. How hard was it to say 4 weeks 2 days ago. 

Anyway, common sense prevails for once. 

The most surprising thing to me, out of all this, is how good and important a player Richmond supporters believe houli to be all of a sudden.