Melbourne’s mature-age recruit Aidan Johnson could be suspended for the second time in his five-match AFL career after unleashing a brutal bump, but Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell’s match-day report was thrown out.
Johnson leapt up and elected to bump as Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera got a rushed kick away in St Kilda’s upset 28-point win over Melbourne on Sunday.
Wanganeen-Milera missed most of the second term while he was assessed for concussion, but he was eventually cleared to return and finished with 29 disposals and 795m gained in a standout display.
“I just wanted to come back and play my role, and it was good to get the win,” Wanganeen-Milera told Channel 7 after the match.
Johnson was selected by Melbourne with pick No.68 in last year’s national draft.
The 25-year-old was suspended after his debut match in round one for a spearing tackle on GWS forward Callum Brown, and the fact his bump on Sunday got his opponent in the head could spell bad news for him.
Meanwhile, Rowell was cleared of any wrongdoing for his glancing jab to the face of Fremantle’s Neil Erasmus.
Rebounding defender Daniel Rioli also had no case to answer for an incident in which he rushed in and caught Andrew Brayshaw high in the dying moments of Fremantle’s 11-point win.
Dockers forward Jye Amiss was fined $3000, reduced to $2000 with an early guilty plea, for striking Sam Collins.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl/rowell-cleared-but-is-mature-age-demon-in-strife-again-c-18887037
