The NRL may have opened up a can of worms on the kind of contact that can be made on kickers, after Harry Grant successfully appealed to have his dangerous contact charge dropped for making contact with the leg of Sharks playmaker Daniel Atkinson.
Judiciary panellists Sean Hampstead and Tony Puletua agreed that while Grant’s contact on Atkinson during Melbourne’s loss to Cronulla was dangerous, it was not careless and therefore didn’t fit the criteria for a guilty verdict.
The panel were satisfied that the contact was dangerous, in the sense that is carried with it an unacceptable risk of injury,” judiciary chair Geoff Bellew said.
“…However, the panel were not satisfied that the player had acted carelessly … the panel took into account footage of the incident which established to its satisfaction that momentarily after the ball was kicked, the player slowed down appreciably and changed his line of running.
“That conduct, in the panel’s view, was objectively inconsistent with a suggestion of carelessness, but consistent with the effect of evidence given by the player, which the panel accepted, that he was endeavouring to be careful.”
The result means Grant will not have to pay the $1,500 fine he had risked by challenging the charge.
