Colac will be without midfield gun Ben McCarthy for Saturday’s GFNL qualifying final against Newtown & Chilwell after accepting a one-match suspension for an incident in the club’s final-round win over Grovedale.
McCarthy received a yellow card for striking Tom De Goldi during the third quarter, with AFL Barwon’s Match Review Panel assessing the incident as intentional conduct, high contact, and low impact, resulting in a two-match ban.
However, an early guilty plea means McCarthy will be free to play the following week, with Colac narrowly snatching the double chance from St Mary’s.
The news was better for teammate Adam Garner, who was reprimanded for the second time in less than a month after being yellow-carded tripping former Grovedale captain Brady Campi, also in the third quarter.
Graded a low-level offence, Garner will be free to take on the Towners.
Grovedale’s Cooper Whyte, who was playing his second GFNL game of the season after Werribee’s VFL season failed to make it to finals, will make a delayed start to next year.
He accepted a one-match suspension for rough conduct on Colac’s Cooper Hayes during the third quarter.
Assessed as careless conduct, high contact, and medium impact, an early guilty plea reduced the sanction from two games to one.
Also in the GFNL, Lara ruck Ryan Bell was cited for headbutting North Shore’s Will Milsome in the Cats’ wooden spoon-avoiding win at Windsor Park.
The second-quarter incident was assessed as careless conduct, high contact, and low impact, drawing a one-match suspension.
However, an early guilty plea means Bell will be free to play in the opening round of 2026.
Meanwhile, in the GDFNL, North Geelong captain Zac Schwennesen is breathing a sigh of relief after his striking charge against Belmont Lions star David van Allitt was assessed as a low-level offence.
An early guilty plea reduced the penalty from one match to a reprimand, meaning he’s free to take on East Geelong in Saturday’s second semi-final.
X: @krockfootball
