It has once again been another busy week for the match review panel after an alarming number of players received reports or were cited in round seven matches.
A staggering 25 Goulburn Valley League players were issued with suspensions or reprimands stemming from last week’s games, with a total of 27 infringements dished out.
Benalla’s Josh Mellington was found guilty at the tribunal this week after he was reported by the MRP for instigating a melee in his side’s loss to Mooroopna on May 27.
The Saints forward can be seen sprinting towards a Mooroopna player at the end of the third quarter which sparked a melee.
He received a two-week suspension.
Mellington was also reported by the MRP for careless rough conduct in the same game.
He was offered one week for both reports, due to them originating in the same match, however, he challenged both at the tribunal where he was found not guilty of the rough conduct and guilty of instigating a melee.
Mellington has now been cited four times this season.
His Benalla teammate Nick Brazil will miss the next three matches after he was found guilty at the tribunal.
Like Mellington, Brazil was charged for two separate incidents, for engaging in a melee and for intentionally striking his opponent.
Brazil was offered the same early plea penalty as Mellington, but he challenged the striking report at the tribunal and accepted the reprimand for engaging in a melee.
His challenge was unsuccessful and he received a three-match suspension.
In that same contest, a further nine Benalla and 10 Mooropna players accepted early guilty pleas for engaging in a melee and were issued reprimands.
Elsewhere, Euroa star Ben Giobbi was handed a two-match suspension for an incident in last week’s win over Tatura.
Giobbi was reported by an umpire for intentionally striking and was referred directly to the tribunal where he was found guilty.
In the seniors at Kyabram Recreation Reserve, Seymour’s Josh Alford and Kyabram’s Nic Denahy were reported for wearing boots, jewellery and equipment prohibited under rule nine.
The duo accepted reprimands.
Lastly, an Echuca under-18 footballer accepted an early guilty plea of one-match after they were reported for intentionally striking a Shepparton United opponent.
And two juniors from the Goulburn Murray Junior League were reported for wrestling last week.
Tatura and St Augustine’s under-14 players received reprimands for early guilty pleas.