North Shore coach Mark Hounslow can still lead the GFNL club again in 2026, despite being found guilty of an off-field incident following the Seagulls’ loss to Leopold earlier this month.
Already serving a six-match suspension from AFL Barwon for approaching the umpires after the June 13 match at Memorial Park, and a four-week club ban, Hounslow has been handed another three-match suspension for bringing the game into disrepute after appearing before the AFL Barwon tribunal on Wednesday night.
However, the tribunal allowed Hounslow to serve this penalty concurrently with the AFL Barwon suspension, which allows him to return to the role in Round 17.
Hounslow, who had never been suspended in a lengthy playing and coaching career, was charged following an investigation request from Leopold, which claimed he made contact with Lions’ player Nic Ash outside the clubrooms after the match.
Ash, his father Stephen, partner Chloe Gallagher, and friend Halle O’Connor were called to give evidence by investigation officer Kent Hannam.
Ash told the tribunal panel, chaired by Paul Evans, he was standing outside the Leopold changerooms about 15 minutes after the match, talking to his father, Ms Gallagher, Ms O’Connor and another person, when he saw Hounslow approach.
He believed the contact from Hounslow to be to the middle of his back and “mild to moderate” in force.
“I felt there was a deliberate move to make contact,” he told the tribunal.
“It made me take a step forward.”
Stephen Ash described the incident as “a deliberate motion”, and Ms Gallagher labelled the contact “enough that it wasn’t accidental”, reacting to the incident by yelling towards Hounslow, “You’re a p***k”.
Ms O’Connor told the tribunal she didn’t see the contact but said Hounslow was “hovering over Nic’s shoulder”.
Hounslow admitted making contact with Ash but denied it was intentional.
He told the tribunal he was walking towards Leopold’s social rooms with his son at the time.
Carrying his whiteboard in his right hand and bag in his left, Hounslow claims the contact was made when he turned back over his shoulder to look for his son.
When asked why he didn’t acknowledge Ash if the contact wasn’t intentional, Hounslow said, “It was an emotional day”.
In delivering the sanction, Mr Evans told Hounslow, “You’ve let yourself down”.
Meanwhile, North Shore under-18 coach Dean Rochow has been found not guilty after being charged with bringing the game into disrepute following an investigation request from Leopold.
Leopold co-presidents Lachlan Cartledge and Aaron Verlin both gave evidence that Rochow subjected players and umpires to abuse throughout the senior match.
However, this was denied by Rochow and former Seagulls president Dale Purcell, who was also called as a witness.
After a short deliberation following an hour-long hearing, Rochow was found not guilty.
X: @krockfootball
