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Trial by media. Six weeks is a joke when Houli received four.

Thing about Trengove is he has a footy brain and footskills. I trust him with ball in hand and I can't say the same for 50% of the team. Get him in

this is the same tribunal that gave houli 2 weeks (yes 2) and bugg 6 weeks just 7 days apart where is the consistency, both acts were deemed intentional, high and high impact. houli actually knocked his guy unconscious and used a more dangerous round arm (albeit in reverse) to the more dangerous side of the head with greater force. i would grade both acts essentially similar and deserving of the same punishment whether it be x weeks or y weeks.

Actually feel sorry for Buggy. Splashed all over the news as if he is some kind of cold blooded murdere. I feel bit bad after what i said after the game. Its no wonder AFL players struggle with depression with the [censored] they cop on social media. Head up Buggy!

Harsh IMHO. Four weeks was about right. Not unexpected though Houli started the bus, Fahour stepped on the accelerator and Bugg, by virtue of his own stupidity managed to throw himself under it.

I'm waiting for posters to not assume that religion will be used as an excuse by a Muslim footballer for a coward punch on the ground. The guy will plead guilty and said there is no explanation or excuse. He'll get a massive ban, perhaps get fired from his AFL job. IMO good. Correct me if I'm wrong, but who apart from us (and maybe some press) are bringing religion into this? Has Fahour yet?

What annoys me most out of all of this is that it is pure luck that Schofield didn't do the same amount of damage that Bugg did, yet Oliver is the villain. If the AFL actually clamped down on all these punches the these incidents wouldn't happen.

Barry Hall played in the 2005 GF after a wild punch the week before he is now in the Hall of Fame Just Saying....

Not defending his action but this is a reactionary punishment based on the media outrage drummed up this weekend. If this happened a month ago? 4 weeks. Just think of how many ludicrous punches ended up being fines or, worse, overlooked. How many elbows to the heads were even cited? Nothing to see when Selwood elbows Mitchell in the head as he's lying defenceless on the ground. Nothing against Schofield because the media decided Oliver was staging. Nothing against Cotchin's jumper punch because he plays for Richmond and he's a great bloke with lots of mates in the media.

Watts won't play the blues expects to play week after. Straight from his mouth today

It was more of a tap than a king hit and both players were tussling. I watched the footage again and Bugg appeared genuinely surprised when Mills went down. It was silly and but he has demonstrated genuine remorse, accepted responsibility making no excuses and will miss the next 6 weeks. Bachir Houli by comparison pleaded not guilty and used his social standing to plead for a reduced sentence and apologised by text message. In my view Bugg has shown more character than Houli who is meant to be a leader in his community.

How great is this... Mark Robinson was just on AFL360 questioning Melbourne and our undisciplined behaviour with Jordan Lewis. He then turned to Jack Riewoldt and says 'It's not at like at Richmond, where I can't recall one undisciplined act this year'. And without skipping a beat Anthony Hudson chimes in with 'Ahhh, Bachar Houli last week'. Classic. It perfectly sums up how short term the current AFL news cycle is, and how quickly it shifts.

Jimmy Bartel doesn't hold back: "He sought him out. It wasn't spur of the moment, it wasn't a brain fade. It was calculated. He ran 30 metres, he skimmed the edges and he sucker punched someone like a coward. "And he has got history. This is not just a one-off; he has already been reported this year for striking – go back a couple of years [2012] and he belted a spectator. "He should be deregistered. If you get 16 weeks in local football you are deregistered. "The apology falls on deaf ears for me." http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/ali-fahour-guilty-of-cowardice-at-best-hang-up-the-boots-at-worst-sacked-20170704-gx4gh0.html Anyone who thinks that was the same as the Bugg incident needs to have another look at it and their own value system..

TBH Bugg has been punished not only for the act (which was cheap), but he's also been punished for the timing (doing the week after Houli). As usual the AFL react to things as a whole rather than as individual cases. This sanction is more about making the competition look like it takes a hard line on thugs than the individual incident. Eitherway, its not a massive loss on field for us I don't believe, albeit Bugg has been handy this year.

BANG!!! Basher Houli was so very lucky...

IF he cant get a game with our entire engine room out injured then he won't ever play for us again. Right now we have a huge opening for him to step in and play a role that doesn't require burst pace so much as endurance and hardness. It's more or less his ideal position.

Why the hell did we use this Findlay guy? Didn't he not get Viney off a few years back? Bugg might not be a star but he's an MFC player and on that basis we should've done the best we could to get him the lightest punishment. In my mind that means hiring a decent QC who will present all of the evidence. All I heard was that Bugg had pled guilty, apologised and was remorseful. Nothing about: - No weeks suspended in 94 games - Mills started it - Boxing expert Danny Green's comments about the force and intent of the punch - No intent to cause injury This was a 4 week suspension that became 6 weeks because it was Friday night footy and the expendable Tomas Bugg and I'm disappointed our club that rolled with that.

Rubbish. The club would look absolutely stupid trying to defend Bugg in any way. There is nothing to defend.

A murderer would at least get something of decent effort at a defence. Good ol roll over Melbourne.

This is exactly right. No friends for Bugg. None. Bugg spoke to the media, said how he's friends with Gus, understands concussion and the seriousness. Nobody in his corner is weak from the MFC. Could've at least by made it about his remorse, instead Findlay sinks the boot in by saying how horrible it is and it'll follow him for his entire career! Never Findlay again. Sure, Bugg deserves the time. Fine, don't defend him at all at the tribunal. But why join the media hysteria?

I really like Bugg. He will be missed on the ground. But not nearly as much as Viney and Jones whose absences really concern me. At least the 'bruise free' football era has well and truly been put to bed.

Seems genuinely remorseful. Glad he and the club didn't defend the action or try to reduce the sentence. Cop it and move on. Has a long road back now.

Didn't Barry Hall get 7 weeks for his KO on Staker? By my reasoning Buggs incident was (IMO) about 1/2 as bad as that was. Should have been given 4 - incident was no worse than Houli.

If Trenners and Hogan make their comebacks on Sunday - it will lift the team enough to get a win. **And I might have something in my eye when JT gets his first touch He is good enough, just do it. none of this extended bench BS either - in the 18. R: Gawn Oliver Trengove

The media in general must be bi-polar. Last week they were all writing how we could win the flag. We lose one game and suddenly we are getting ahead of ourselves. I think the only people getting ahead of themselves is the media.

Did I hear on the news that Goodwin also apologised to Longmire? I think this is the incident that redefines this kind of stuff in the AFL. I know he's got to cop whats come but I do feel bad for him. Hopefully the boys get around him and hold him strong. He did the wrong thing but he's part of our club. The great MFC. Enough with the bashing now.

'King hit'? Hyperbole! And to be honest a lot of what is done on an AFL field would be classified as assault in 90% of workplaces so any comparison is misguided IMO. The more I re-watch it, the more I'm convinced Danny Green was fairly spot on. At best it was a misdirected jab at the shoulder region whilst running, at worst an intentional half force jab at the chin. Either way it was not in the same ball park as the full blown uppcut that Hall floored Staker with, which only landed him 1 week more on the side lines.

Must say ... the exact same thought struck me ... straight out of a Renaissance painting

Yet Houli got 4 for KOing a guy. Didn't resident AFL-thug-but-member-of-golden-club-GWS Toby Greene get 2 for a clearly late punch to the head? We are consistently treated with a different set of rules to other clubs with suspensions, both in how our players are treated (Hogan, Lewis, Bugg) and how those are treated who instigate acts against our players (Schofield).

I'd like to see him paraded through the streets in chains and give the public a chance to pelt him with rotten fruit and then put him in stocks force him to watch Kingswood country from start to finish. Then I'd like him tarred and feathered.Its been years since they actually tarred and feathered somebody. I think waterboarding might even be in order.

Stretch was horrible against Sydney, but good against West Coast the week before with 22, 4 tackles and a goal. I'd give him another week.

maybe he should stay away permanently too?

They were in meltdown over the penalty, not Houli, and that is a big difference. FFS Houli will get knighted for services to football such has been the fawning over his 'character' and 'references' while Bugg has been made out to be Jack the Ripper. Bugg has been friendless, even from the majority on here it would seem.

Sorry, but I can't rationalise, compromise, legitimise, sanitise or minimise Bugg's action. Six weeks is entirely appropriate.

IMO we could do far worse than call him up to play in the guts this weekend. Always going to have a soft spot for Trenners!

Interesting perspective from the public figurehead of the Coward Punch Campaign Danny Green - SEN "Former boxing world champion Danny Green says there is "not much" in Melbourne defender Tom Bugg's punch that knocked out Sydney youngster Callum Mills on Friday night." Not sure how he stacks up next to Malcolm Turnbull or Waleed Aly as a character witness Dermie throws in his two penneth worth further down the linked page

I just can't believe how over the top the media have been since Friday night. We lose our first game in 5 weeks & the media have completely gone overboard. Danny Frawley claiming because of our performance we were drinking our on bath water reading to much about ourselves. Micky Malthouse saying the same & telling Melbourne to grow up. In my opinion this is way over the top has anyone taken into account our 3 concecutive 6 day breaks the last 6 day break coming back from Perth in a night match which also meant we had to stay in Perth until Sunday. What about the injury list going into friday night we had 5 of our best 10 players out Jones, Hogan, Watts, Salem & Garlett. Let me see another club have 5 of there best 10 players out after 3 concecutive 6 day break & the last one coming home from Perth in a night match having to stay in Perth overnight let see how they perform & i bet my life if they performed like we did & were flat they would excuse them. Lets just hold off for a few weeks & settle down

One too many for mine. The tribunal chairman said the jury should give him a week less for his remorse, guilty plea, etc. If they did, then it was 7 down to 6, which is the maximum the AFL asked for. 6 down to 5 would have been more appropriate I think.

Is it just me or does it look like the Swan on the right of Bugg is purely focused on ripping off his jumper (and struggling)?

I'm currently at the holiday clinic at MSAC with most of the team here, might just get one of the kids to ask Watts.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-03/statement-from-ali-fahour Fahour: "I accepted a 2-match suspension on Saturday afternoon, and rang my manager at the AFL, Andrew Dillon on my way home from the football match". Some questions for the AFL: Did Fahour only get 2 weeks for a 'cowards punch' because he is an AFL employee? Why did Andrew Dillon not do/say something. Why did they not appeal that 2 weeks? How can the AFL justify the appeal and demand of 4 weeks for Houli? How does the AFL justify the 2 weeks to Fahour if Bugg gets more than the 2 weeks. How does McCarthy get 2 weeks for an in play tackle that went a bit wrong. I'd like to know why the media is not asking these hard questions of the AFL/Andrew Dillon.

Fahour has not made a claim for racial tolerance on his tribunal hearing. But he did get his job on those grounds. Fahour has also been suspended previously for striking and another time for jumping into the crowd and punching. Neither were caught on camera like this incident. Call me a bigot but I like people getting jobs on merit not sex, race, religion.

I don't know why we gave him a 1 year contract if we are not going to play him when everyone else is injured. He is experienced, he has a good build. Yes he is slow, blah blah blah, but if he can play in the guts to help out Trac and Oliver, I don't see why you wouldn't give him a game or two until at least Tyson is back.

Why? Friends in high places! Take a look at the pic in this article http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-diversity-chief-ali-fahour-redcarded-for-punching-opponent-on-saturday-20170703-gx3fro.html For those who can't see it, its a beaming Fahour with a beaming John Howard. Looks remarkably similar to last weeks pic of Houli with Turnbull!! And the other friends that, Jake Niall notes: "Fahour’s brother Ahmed is well connected in AFL circles, having held a senior position at the NAB and been a heavily remunerated chief executive of Australia Post. Ahmed is a friend of Demetriou" . https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/ali-fahour-must-be-given-the-red-card-and-cannot-remain-in-his-role-after-kinghit-incident-writes-jake-niall/news- Interesting you mention Rendell, jnrmac. Jake Niall says: " Fahour should be judged according to what I would call the Rendell standard". who was forced to walk the plank. If Fahour had any real remorse or dignity he would walk the plank. And the fake tears in his press conference yesterday were demeaning and insulting. Playing the 'pity' card doesn't wash. Had the amateur video not surfaced the AFL would have done nothing. The media should demand that he goes. Niall is a lone wolf on this at the moment. The AFL cannot be allowed to bunker down, weather the storm until it goes away. Friends in high places cannot be allowed to interfere with what is right. I hope, the real victim, Saddington, sues for assault - Fahour ran a long way, throwing other players out of the way to land the premeditated 'coward punch'. That is serious assault even if it was on the footy field.

At some stage, you would think that he should play, to at least show if he can still compete at afl level. Given the loss of a lot of leadership and midfield talent due to injury, you would think this may be the week. I hope he gets back and does well.

Jones, Viney, Salem and Tyson injured, Bugg out, Brayshaw carefully managed, Oliver looking a little tired. Lewis not in hot form and most of the rest of our midfield rotation being part-timers there. Plus multiple other options under a bit of a cloud for breaking team rules. I'd say we need every possible competent midfield option we can bring in. No harm opening the possibility of fairytale, either. "Forgotten ex captain steadies the ship in hardworking comeback game".

Is there an AFL match 6 days after Christmas Day? Drinking in the off-season or 8/9 days out from a match is understandable. What isn't acceptable is flaunting a team directive to avoid alcohol during this 6-6-6 period, in case of injuries or emergency call-ups. All they had to do was stay off the grog for 6 more days! They've shown contempt for their coaches, disrespect for their teammates, and topped it all off with an embarrassing VFL performance.

He will be back for the Carlton game. In fact I heard that he has asked the AFL to bring the game forward to tomorrow.

The media are scum. Always have been, always will be.

c'mon now this comment is ridiculous... He'll cop the full brunt of the northern leagues tribunal