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I'm not an AFL thug: Port's Jonas

Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas says he's not a dirty player as he prepares to cop an AFL ban for knocking out an opponent.

Tom Jonas of the Power
Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas is set to be hit with a hefty AFL ban for a crude hit. (AAP)

Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas hopes a dirty act doesn't define his AFL career.

Jonas says he's prepared to be given an inevitable AFL suspension on Tuesday after knocking out West Coast's Andrew Gaff in Saturday's match.

"I have hurt one of my fellow players, that is the main thing. Hopefully I'm not remembered for that," Jonas told reporters on Monday.

Jonas was sent straight to the tribunal by the Match Review Panel (MRP), while ruled his elbow on Gaff was intentional, with severe impact and high contact.

"I don't think that I'm a dirty player but obviously I have opened that up for speculation," Jonas said.

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"You guys will form your own opinions but I try and play tough but fair."

Separately, Jonas' teammate Robbie Gray was cleared of a match-day report for tripping Eagle Mark LeCras.

Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell was exonerated for his contact which halted Sydney's Dan Hannebery but Western Bulldog Lin Jong was outed for two-matches for a high front-on bump on GWS defender Matt Buntine.

Fremantle fullback Zac Dawson was cleared of his match-day report for striking, while Richmond's Ty Vickery also had a striking report tossed out.

Carlton's Bryce Gibbs can accept a $1000 fine for striking North Melbourne's Brent Harvey and there was a host of melee fines among the 20 charges laid from round nine games.

Port's Jonas, to appear before the tribunal on Tuesday night, said his post-game apology via text messages to Gaff was accepted.

"I thought he probably wouldn't be in the mood for a call from me and we had a bit of a message conversation, so it was good of him," Jonas said.

"You never like to injure or see another player injured in our game. That's not in the spirit of the game."

The Power backman wouldn't speculate on the length of his looming ban.

"At the end of the day, I did the crime so I got to do the time. So they will come up with appropriate sanction," he said.

"I'll receive a sanction and cop whatever comes my way and learn from it."


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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