Kane Cornes has teed off at the AFL’s legal argument in its case against Brayden Maynard as the marathon Tribunal hearing drags on.
Maynard is fighting to be able to play again in 2023 after he was referred directly to the Tribunal for a sickening collision with Angus Brayshaw that has left the Melbourne defender facing an uphill battle to play again this season.
Mounting the AFL’s argument, legal counsel Andrew Woods suggested Maynard’s action was too dangerous in the circumstances as he went to smother a Brayshaw kick.
“This type of contact isn’t common. Leaping forward in the air with force to an opponent running in opposite direction holds a key risk of badly injuring their opponent. It’s a dangerous action to undertake and it breaches the duty of care owed to the other player,” Woods said, per The Age.
“You might find in all of the circumstances we’re not troubled by the forward trajectory speed and angles, in which case I will say you should still be troubled by what happens while the player is in the air and the positioning of the body.”
But Cornes fired back.
“I think Brayden Maynard’s done a pretty good job – from what I’m reading in the live updates – in his evidence to defend himself… he’s basically said it was an instant decision… he’s calling it a flinch and it is more of a flinch than a brace or anything,” Cornes told SEN’s Sportsday.
“(But) Andrew Woods for the AFL has been very unrealistic with what he’s suggesting Brayden could have done.”
I can’t believe he went with this https://t.co/aLowlAQ0pd
— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) September 12, 2023
The Port Adelaide great also called out the league’s suggestion that Maynard could have jumped upwards instead of towards Brayshaw.
“Does he (Woods) not understand the trajectory of running at 22 kms an hour? You can’t run that fast, stop then jump upright. Clearly your momentum is going to carry you forward,” Cornes explained.
He added: “It’s one of the more ridiculous arguments I’ve heard. That’s not personal, that’s just my view.
“Have you played the game? Have you run full speed trying to do the same thing or are you just watching it in slowmo on a TV screen?”
The Magpies also called a biomechanist in evidence who explained Maynard had no control of the incident when he became airborne.
If found guilty of rough conduct, Maynard will be banned for at least three weeks given the impact knocked Brayshaw unconscious for up to two minutes.
The Triunal is yet to start deliberating on the evidence at time of publish.
You can listen live to SEN Sportsday as Gerard Healy and Kane Cornes dissect every aspect of the Tribunal case across the SEN Network and SEN App.