Geelong’s weekend just got a whole lot worse, with star captain Patrick Dangerfield handed a one-week suspension for his sling tackle on Carlton’s Sam Walsh.
In the first play of the Cats’ 63-point loss on Friday night, Dangerfield wrapped Walsh up in a tackle, bringing him to ground in what looked to be an innocuous and reasonable legal tackle.
However, on second watch, it was revealed that Walsh’s head smacked the turf, with Dangerfield pinning both his arms down and dropping him to the ground.
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Walsh was given a free kick and played out the match unscathed, collecting 33 disposals and kicking a goal in his side’s win.
Dangerfield’s tackle has been graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, meaning he will miss a week.
Patrick Dangerfield tackles Sam Walsh. Fox
It means the Cats’ skipper won’t face off against Essendon, unless the club challenges the suspension at the tribunal.
In the MRO’s view, he did not exercise enough duty of care for the ball carrier.
Patrick Dangerfield of Geelong and Sam Walsh of Carlton. Getty
The suspension couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Cats, who have won just one game from their last seven outings.
There is also an injury cloud over veteran forward Tom Hawkins, who went down with an innocuous ankle issue in the third term.
Geelong will look to get their ninth win of 2024 against Essendon at the MCG on Saturday night.