The AFL tribunal has made a stance against head-high contact by suspending Essendon forward Peter Wright for four weeks due to his high bump on Sydney defender Harry Cunningham.
Wright was directly referred to the tribunal following his collision with Cunningham during the Bombers’ match against the Swans, where Cunningham suffered a concussion, with his return date still uncertain.
During the game at the SCG, Cunningham moved backward to take a mark, and Wright rushed in to spoil, resulting in a collision where Wright’s shoulder made contact with Cunningham’s head.
Match review officer Michael Christian categorized Wright’s action as careless conduct with severe impact and high contact.
The tribunal’s decision came amidst debates regarding Wright’s intentions during the collision, with discussions around his attempt to mark the ball as he seemed to adjust his body mid-air to bump.
Wright pleaded guilty to all charges during the hearing, with the AFL advocating for a ban of “no less than four matches”, while Essendon sought a reduced three-match ban.
After 24 minutes of deliberation, a verdict was reached.
During the hearing, it was brought up that Wright had previously suffered a significant shoulder injury in March 2023, implying that his actions might have been influenced by a desire to protect his shoulder, even if it resulted in the wrong action.
Essendon’s representative argued that Wright’s attempt to protect his shoulder demonstrated an effort to minimize the impact on Cunningham, suggesting that Wright tried to make front-on, body-to-body contact instead of shoulder-to-head contact.
However, the AFL’s representative contended that Wright’s actions in leaving the ground to contest the mark were not justified.
Additionally, the collision was partially attributed to a preceding “dodgy floater” kick, according to Essendon’s representative, which set up the situation leading to the collision.
Both parties argued over Wright’s entitlement to contest the ball.
Consequently, the 27-year-old will be absent from Essendon’s upcoming matches against St Kilda, Port Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs, and Adelaide.