Tamara Smith has been cleared of the three-game AFLW suspension she initially received for a heavy bump on Geelong forward Kate Surman. After a lengthy tribunal hearing on Sunday night, the Hawthorn defender was found not guilty, as it was unclear whether any high contact occurred.
The incident took place during the second quarter of Hawthorn’s three-goal win over Geelong, where Smith’s hip-and-shoulder bump concussed Surman. Smith had been facing one of the longest suspensions in AFLW history, with her charge classified as careless conduct, severe impact, and high contact.
However, after over 90 minutes of deliberation, tribunal chair Renee Enbom KC stated that the evidence did not meet the necessary standard to confirm high contact had been made.
“We are not satisfied to the requisite standard that Ms Smith’s bump on player Surman involved high contact,” Enbom said in the findings. The tribunal found that the footage clearly showed shoulder-on-shoulder contact but did not conclusively show Smith’s shoulder making contact with Surman’s head, neck, or upper shoulder.
Enbom also noted that Smith gave “unequivocal” testimony, stating she only felt shoulder-to-shoulder contact with Surman. While the impact knocked Surman backwards, the tribunal was not convinced her head hit the ground as a direct result of the bump.
As a result, Smith is now free to play.
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