AFL hands down verdict on Dangerfield bump

Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield has been referred directly to the Tribunal for his dangerous hit on ex-teammate Jake Kelly.

Dangerfield's hit in Geelong's shock loss to Adelaide resulted in Kelly being stretchered off Adelaide Oval, with the defender left with a broken nose.

The incident was assessed as careless conduct with a severe impact and high contact, and Dangerfield cannot accept an early plea.

It is understood that Kelly's heavy concussion and broken nose were what saw the level of force raised from high to severe.

Based on similar previous incidents, Dangerfield is all but certain to miss a minimum of three weeks, which would see him miss clashes against Brisbane, Hawthorn and Melbourne.

If Geelong is able to successfully downgrade the hit from severe to medium impact, it would see Dangerfield miss two weeks.

While the contact to Kelly's head was incidental, Dangerfield is likely to face a suspension due to AFL rules which were altered in 2018 which made players' heads sacrosanct.

"I am not sure what else you would have to do to get severe," ex-Geelong star and former tribunal member, Jimmy Bartel, told 3AW on Sunday.

"And it allows Patrick Dangerfield to go up and explain his case and get a hearing and it might get two games, but I don't know how else you can grade it less than severe."

However, Dangerfield's coach, Chris Scott, had an entirely different view of the incident.

"My take was when you've got two players running full-speed at each other, and one player kicks the ball just before contact, then the player should do everything you can not to hurt the other player," he said.

"Don't jump off the ground, don't raise your arms, you can't tackle him … sometimes players run into each other and there's a head clash. I don't think he intended to headbutt him, that's for sure.

"To my eye, it looked like he (Dangerfield) was doing everything he could to protect himself and the other player.

"It's a game we play – two guys running at that speed straight at each other. Collisions happen."

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