North Melbourne's Jackson Archer will miss the next three matches following the AFL Tribunal's decision to uphold his suspension for rough conduct against Western Bulldog Luke Cleary.
The ruling was made during the Tribunal's session on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, after Archer's involvement in a significant collision during the fourth quarter of their match on March 15, 2025. The incident, which resulted in Cleary being concussed, saw Archer's knee make contact with the Bulldog defender's head as he attempted to reclaim possession of the ball.
According to the AFL Match Review Officer, Archer's actions were deemed careless, with the incident graded as severe impact and high contact. Despite North Melbourne's appeal arguing the collision was incidental and Archer’s conduct reasonable under the circumstances, the Tribunal disagreed.
Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson stated, "Archer slowed too little and too late" during the incident, emphasizing the obligation players have to demonstrate duty of care toward their opponents.
Although Archer did reduce his speed by approximately 25% before the collision, Gleeson indicated this was insufficient to prevent the head-high impact. "His duty of care required him to slow more appreciably and earlier to give himself the opportunity to avoid or minimize head-high contact," he added. The examination of the incident also spotlighted the pressing defensive techniques employed by the players.
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, Cleary underwent scans, which cleared him of any serious structural injuries. He is now following concussion protocols and will be sidelined for the Bulldogs’ upcoming match against Collingwood on March 21, 2025.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge expressed his disbelief over any action being taken against Archer, stating, "I wouldn’t have thought so," and explained the situation was unfortunate, attributing it to the high-speed dynamic of players vying for possession.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson also commented on the incident, noting the unfortunate nature of high-speed collisions, stating, "I haven’t looked at a replay of it but just an unfortunate collision in the game. I hope the young fella’s okay.”
Despite the upheld suspension, Archer's defense revolved around the notion of the incident being accidental, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of the game. "This was an awful collision involving two brave footballers. It's unfortunate, but it's not more than just bad luck," Archer's advocate, Justin Graham, argued during the hearing.
The ruling means Archer will miss matches against Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, impacting North Melbourne's defensive strategies as they navigate this early season.
This incident has sparked extensive discussions about safety and the enforcement of player protection rules within the AFL, particularly concerning high-impact collisions and player duty of care. Expert opinions vary, with some claiming such events are inevitable, as no rule can entirely remove the risk of accidents inherent to the sport.
Following the tribunal ruling, Jackson Archer expressed his concern for Cleary's wellbeing, stating, "I was in shock. It all happened so quickly, I didn’t realize Luke was injured until I got up off the ground. That’s when I realized he was hurt pretty badly." Archer maintained he did not expect Cleary to go down at the moment of impact—a sentiment echoed by other commentators stressing the fast-paced nature of play influences such collisions.
Former players highlighted the necessity for players to adapt their play style to avoid high-impact injuries. AFL veteran Nick Riewoldt reflected on the incident, saying, "You can’t legislate accidents out of the game. Jackson Archer is lucky not to have a broken leg. It’s a violent collision.”
Archer's suspension and Cleary's recovery now stand as pivotal talking points as the AFL season progresses, with fans and analysts alike closely monitoring how these situations will affect rules and player behaviour moving forward. This examination of player safety continues to resonate strongly, reflecting broader concerns about injury management across all levels of contact sports.
