‘Complete nonsense’: AFL boss says decision to overrule Cripps ban ‘made no sense’

Outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has admitted he remains “very agitated” by the AFL Appeals Board’s decision to overturn Patrick Cripps’ suspension for rough conduct.

Cripps’ two-match ban was initially upheld by the AFL Tribunal but then overturned by the Appeals Board, which found that the Tribunal’s decision did not “afford procedural fairness” due to the lack of clear directions given by Tribunal chairperson Jeff Gleeson.

The decision to clear Cripps proved pivotal to the outcome of the Brownlow Medal, which Cripps won by one vote after a three-vote performance in the final game of the season.

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“People are aware I was very agitated by that (Appeals Board) decision,” McLachlan said last month for a piece published in this week’s AFL Record.

“It made no sense to me in any way and it is frustrating to have a legal view about due process or procedural fairness – a complete nonsense – really affect a clear mandate to protect the head.

“We confused our supporters and set ourselves back and that really frustrates me.”

“When you can have something that is so important, which is protecting the head, and a clear statement from the MRO and backed up by the Tribunal, and then the player getting off because of a legal technicality and nobody really understanding what the hell happened, I find that challenging.

“So, I have asked the guys to review the system and we will see where that lands.”