Jack Scrimshaw, defender for the Hawthorn Hawks, has had his three-match suspension upheld by the AFL tribunal following his unsuccessful appeal to have the impact grading of his suspension reduced. The ruling was announced on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, after Scrimshaw faced the consequences of his conduct during the Hawks' match against the Bombers on March 14, during which he struck Bombers defender Jordan Ridley.
During the second quarter of the game, Scrimshaw was deemed to have engaged in careless conduct with severe impact and high contact, as determined by match review officer Michael Christian. The hit caused Ridley to experience concussion symptoms, which led to him being substituted out of the game at halftime, having initially played through the remainder of the second quarter.
The incident sparked significant discourse surrounding player safety and the AFL's suspension guidelines. Following the incident, Ridley was confirmed to miss at least one match due to concussion protocols, as noted by AFL lawyer Sam Bird during the tribunal proceedings.
Hawthorn, determined to challenge the severity of the grading, prompted Scrimshaw to appeal for the impact to be downgraded from severe to high. This reduction would have meant his suspension would decrease from three matches to two, thereby allowing him to return sooner. Scrimshaw appeared at the tribunal sporting visible bruising around his eye, marking the aftermath of minor facial surgery undergone recently.
Seeking expedience, Hawthorn’s representative Myles Tehan chose not to call Scrimshaw to provide additional testimony since he had already submitted his stance orally. The appeal centered on the argument presented by the Hawks, who questioned whether the mere fact of Ridley suffering from concussion warranted the severe grading of the offense. According to their perspective, no explicit rule stipulated this outcome.
Nevertheless, the AFL’s case referenced established precedent: the history of concussions within the league for the previous season indicated every similar offense had been categorized as severe impact. The tribunal deliberated for approximately 20 minutes, reflecting upon the nature and consequences of the hit.
Tribunal chair Jeffrey Gleeson stated, "The fact... there was very considerable," emphasizing the tribunal's mandate to prioritize player safety and the serious nature of any conduct inducing concussion. Gleeson highlighted the guidelines indicating any concussion results must be heavily weighed against the force used and potential injuries incurred by the affected player.
While Scrimshaw presented arguments claiming he had slowed prior to impact and maintained some degree of body-to-body engagement during the hit, the tribunal deemed the force of impact was considerable enough to uphold the severe categorization.
The ramifications of the tribunal's decision mean Scrimshaw will miss the next three matches for the Hawks. Further complicatively, due to the bye week occurring round four, coupled with his own recovery from the concussion sustained during the match, it's anticipated Scrimshaw’s return could extend beyond the three-match suspension.
This disciplinary action was determined concurrently with other notable tribunal hearings, including those of North Melbourne's Jackson Archer and Richmond's Tom Lynch, both of whom found their respective rough conduct offenses similarly upheld on the same day.
The AFL has been under increasing scrutiny over player safety, especially concerning head injuries, and this ruling reaffirms the league’s commitment to enforcing strict disciplinary measures for conduct deemed careless and dangerous on the field. Moving forward, players and clubs alike will be watching closely how the league applies its guidelines pertaining to player conduct and assess how it impacts team dynamics across the season.
