Tamara Smith, the Hawthorn defender, has been cleared of a heavy bump that initially earned her a three-game suspension in the AFLW. Following an extensive tribunal hearing on Sunday night, Smith was found not guilty due to insufficient evidence of high contact. The bump in question occurred during the second quarter of last Thursday’s match against Geelong, where Smith’s hip-and-shoulder shepherd resulted in a concussion for Geelong forward Kate Surman. Hawthorn won the game by a three-goal margin.
Smith was facing what could have been the equal-longest suspension in AFLW history, as her charge was classified under careless conduct, severe impact, and high contact. However, after a deliberation lasting over an hour and a half, tribunal chair Renee Enbom KC concluded that Smith was free to play. In the tribunal’s findings, Enbom explained that they were not satisfied that the necessary evidence supported the claim of high contact. The video footage showed clear shoulder-to-shoulder contact, but it was inconclusive regarding any contact to Surman’s head, neck, or upper shoulder.
Enbom also highlighted Smith’s “unequivocal” testimony, in which she stated that she only felt shoulder contact with Surman. Although the heavy impact caused Surman to be thrown backward, the tribunal could not confirm that her head hitting the ground was a direct result of the bump. Consequently, the charge against Smith was dismissed.
Hawthorn, currently fourth in the standings, will host Gold Coast on Wednesday night, while Geelong’s Surman is set to miss Tuesday’s match against Fremantle.