Collingwood veteran cops ban for hit on Adelaide’s Josh Worrell
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If the ban continues, Pendlebury will miss Collingwood’s match against GWS on March 27 as the Magpies will face a second-round bye. It will also rule out the possibility of Harvey equaling the AFL games record in the blockbuster Anzac Day match against Essendon in round seven.
The Pies have not yet indicated whether they will appeal the ban. If they go to court, Pendlebury’s good record could impact the case.
Under the revised AFL rules, players do not automatically receive reduced sanctions for a good record. However, “a player with an exemplary record may claim that his good record constitutes exceptional and compelling circumstances”.
Pendlebury has a near-perfect record, but the veteran escaped punishment in 2025 after being fined $2500 for an open-handed punch to the stomach of Brisbane’s Lachie Neale.
Pendlebury need five games to equal Harvey’s record of 432 AFL games.
In a separate case, fellow Pendlebury veteran Steele Sidebottom was fined for hitting Adelaide man Hugh Bond. The MRO deemed the incident to be low-impact careless conduct and fined Magpie $2500 ($1500 for early plea).
Suns’ crazy start to win over Eagles
West Coast’s new-look outfit proved challenging as the fast-starting Gold Coast fell off the record pace in their 59-point AFL win.
Sunday’s clash at Carrara had everything needed for a rout as the Eagles, who won just once last season, headed east with four fresh-faced players to face the red-hot Suns.
And the script was written in the first half, with the home side scoring at will to take a 62-point lead at half-time and the club looking set to rewrite the scoring records.
But the Eagles, fueled by fiery starter Milan Murdock, responded with a 20.11 (131) to 10.12 (72) defeat, which will give coach Andrew McQualter plenty of encouragement.
Christian Petracca hurries away.Credit: via Getty Images
As against Geelong last week, the Suns threatened to extend the margin into triple digits before taking their foot off the gas.
Christian Petracca (23 disposals, 4 goals) continued his dominant start to life at the Suns with three goals in the first quarter, while Ben King kicked a whopping five goals.
Noah Anderson took a game-high 34 possessions to score, while Joel Jeffrey (28 disposals) was among the Suns’ best defensively.
AAP
