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Former high-flying Demon Shaun Smith, who suffered repeated concussions throughout his playing career, has slammed the AFL after Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard was cleared for the clash with Angus Brayshaw.<\/p>\n
As former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire celebrated the verdict, declaring \u201cjustice has been done\u201d, Smith, who is the father of Brayshaw\u2019s teammate Joel, described the AFL as an \u201cembarrassment and an absolute joke\u201d in a post on Facebook.<\/p>\n
Smith, who is best remembered for his famous high mark against Brisbane in 1995, is convinced he is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of repeated concussions during his 109-game career for Melbourne and North Melbourne. In 2020, he received a $1.4 million concussion-related insurance payout, while he will also donate his brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank for testing. CTE can only be diagnosed by an examination after death.<\/p>\n
Brayshaw faces an uncertain future after being knocked out cold and concussed in the collision with Maynard in last Thursday night\u2019s qualifying final.<\/p>\n
The AFL has been contacted for comment on whether it will appeal the tribunal decision.<\/p>\n
Smith took to social media on Tuesday night after a marathon four-hour hearing cleared Maynard of rough conduct, paving the way for the Magpie to play in next week\u2019s preliminary final.<\/p>\n
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Former Melbourne and North Melbourne high-flyer Shaun Smith.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cAFL you are an embarrassment and an absolute joke!!!\u201d Smith posted on Facebook.<\/p>\n Replying to responses, Smith labelled the verdict as \u201cabsolutely disgusting\u201d and called the AFL a \u201cdisgusting organisation\u201d.<\/p>\n In dismissing the rough conduct charge laid by AFL operations boss Laura Kane and match review officer Michael Christian, the tribunal found Maynard could not have reasonably foreseen \u201cviolent impact\u201d with Brayshaw, and he had not intended to bump.<\/p>\n \u201cWe accept that a reasonable player would have foreseen at the moment of committing to the act of smothering that some impact with Brayshaw was possible. But we find that it was not inevitable from the perspective of a player in Maynard\u2019s position,\u201d tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson said in a lengthy judgment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not at all satisfied that a reasonable player would have foreseen that violent impact or impact of the type suffered by Brayshaw was inevitable or even likely.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are clearly satisfied that Maynard did not engage in the act of bumping Brayshaw. It is not suggested by the AFL and nor could it be sensibly suggested that Maynard made a decision to bump his opponent at the moment of jumping in the air to smother. At that point in time, Maynard was clearly making a decision to smother.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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