The club’s representative Mark Griffen QC attempted to argue Westhoff’s intent in the strike was ‘reckless’, rather than ‘intentional’, which would have seen Westhoff plead guilty to a lesser charge and be free to play against the Hawks on Saturday.
"He must intend that the contact be high to be guilty,” Griffen argued.
Westhoff argued Hooker initiated the contact.
"Once the quarter finished he made a direct beeline to myself. I was stationary at the time," Westhoff said.
“There was going to be some sort of confrontation. Neither of us was going to back down. He came at me with some kind of force. I didn't want to back down. That's the way AFL is played. I didn't want to show any weakness.
“I was definitely intending to hit on the chest. My first and only thought was to hit him across the chest.”
David Jones, the tribunal chair, asked the jury - which consisted of Emmett Dunne, Wayne Henwood and Wayne Schimmelbusch – to consider whether they were satisfied he intended to strike anywhere on the body with sufficient force to constitute a reportable offence?
The tribunal jury believed the answer to that to be yes, which meant his original charge stood, and Westhoff will miss the clash with the Hawks.
His original charge drew 225 demerit points and a two-match suspension.But Westhoff’s existing six-year good record, reduced the penalty by 25 per cent to 168.75 points and a one-match sanction.
Westhoff will have 68.75 carryover points at the tribunal.
More to come
