Footy fans fume at ‘disgraceful’ AFL tribunal decision as North Melbourne youngster learns fate over sickening collision

An AFL tribunal has upheld Jackson Archer’s three-match suspension after he was involved in a brutal clash that hospitalised Bulldogs star Luke Cleary.

North Melbourne attempted to have the initial ban overturned but were unsuccessful in their appeal.

The 22-year-old Kangaroos midfielder was initially cited by the MRO after he had appeared to make contact with Cleary’s head as the pair challenged for a contest during North Melbourne’s 17.11 (113) – 14.13 (97) defeat by the Bulldogs on Saturday.

He was initially charged with ‘rough conduct’ with the MRO stating the incident was ‘careless’ adding it was ‘severe impact and high contact’.

North Melbourne argued against the decision, stating his conduct was ‘reasonable in the circumstances and did not constitute rough conduct’.

But the tribunal ultimately disagreed, upholding the ban.

‘It is unlikely the club will appeal the decision,’ North Melbourne said in a statement on Tuesday.

During the hearing, Archer revealed he had sent a message to Cleary the day after the incident apologising to the Bulldogs defender.

‘I wanted to give him a little bit of time but I was feeling bad for him … I waited until midday the next day and shot him a text saying sorry about the incident, I didn’t have any intentions for what happened to happen and hoped he was ok,’ Archer had told the tribunal according to Fox Footy’s David Zita.

‘He got back to me pretty quickly and said he was ok and to his credit, he said to me that he didn’t think it was my fault and that I’ve got nothing to stress about,’ he added.

Much of the case had revolved around how Archer had slowed down before heading into the contact situation and whether he had anticipated that Cleary would go to ground as he attempted to gather the footy.

‘When he starts to pick up the ball, I’m starting to slow down enough where I can make a fair tackle,’ Archer told the tribunal. ‘It’s not until his knee hits the ground that I realise he’s chosen to go to ground.’

He added: ‘I’m bracing trying to stop my momentum. My bum’s down, trying to slow down as much as I can, hit the brakes, obviously, he’s going to ground. I don’t want to be in that situation and I don’t want him to be in that situation either.’

Archer also said that none of the Bulldogs players had spoken to him during the match over the incident.

The AFL tribunal eventually dismissed North’s appeal, with tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson handing down his verdict.  

‘Archer approached the contest at excessive speed, giving himself no reasonable opportunity to avoid harmful contact with Cleary in the circumstances that foreseeably arose,’ Gleeson said when handing down the verdict.

‘His duty of care required him to slow more appreciably and earlier in order to give himself the opportunity to avoid or minimise head high contact.’

The 22-year-old, who made 11 disposals and took three marks during the match, will now miss the Roos’ upcoming games against Melbourne, Adelaide and the Swans.

But some fans have been left seething over the decision. It comes as multiple figures from the footy world, including Luke Beveridge, Kane Cornes and Nick Riewoldt have been torn over the incident.

Many from the footy world had expressed concerns that a three-match suspension was excessive, with Bulldogs coach Beveridge stating on AFL360 that Archer did not deserve to miss out on the next three matches.

‘Without much knowledge, because I didn’t watch it back post-game, we know Jackson Archer plays a little bit like his Dad; he’s ferocious at the footy and the opponent when he needs to be,’ Beveridge said to AFL360.

‘If there was one message or thing I’d like to change within our AFL system… I’d re-model the criteria that leads to suspensions; the things that relate to (the MRO), the appeals process.

‘I think we can use a civil law approach to this. (On) the balance of probabilities, was there intent? Did Jackson Archer try and clean Luke Cleary up? No, he didn’t.

‘Not for a minute did he want to hurt Luke, I don’t think. So based on what I’d like to happen, I don’t think he should be out of the game.’

Meanwhile, fans have been reacting to the decision on social media.

‘Footy is dead,’ one wrote on X. One lashed out at the AFL, writing: ‘What a disgrace the AFL. Can guarantee if this was one of the “big clubs” they would’ve overturned it. Don’t stop going in hard Jacko!’

‘Shock me, the AFL is a joke, and it will only get worse,’ another said.

‘I think this might be the end for me and footy! This is absolute rubbish. Game is cooked.’

The incident has proved a point of contention throughout the footy world, with David King telling Fox Footy: ‘Does Archer have enough time to adjust and pull out of the contest? It’s a very difficult one.

‘Sometimes things just happen in footy… I think Archer is unreasonable in one way but so too is Cleary. He’s got to protect himself in that instance… we don’t want players leading with their head like that, especially when there is oncoming traffic. We’ve talked about the concussion problem with people coming in a reckless fashion.

‘Archer is coming at a speed where he really has no control on what sort of contact is likely to occur. That will have a bearing.’