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Sydney has opted to appeal veteran Luke Parker’s six-week suspension handed down after a late bump in the VFL last Friday night, according to 9News Melbourne’s Tom Morris.
Parker was slapped with the mammoth ban after a tribunal hearing that lasted more than two hours on Tuesday night.
In the Swans’ 15-point loss to Frankston, Parker chose to run past the ball and bump his opponent Josh Smith.
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The act occurred in the second term and caused major damage to Smith, who was rushed to hospital suffering serious facial injuries, including a broken cheekbone, as a result of the hit.
Sydney attempted to use Parker’s near-perfect record to defend him, with the midfielder only being suspended once in his 14-year career.
Parker said he was simply trying to shepherd for his teammate and also apologised for the act.
The suspension has come at the wrong time for Parker, as he continues to struggle to crack Sydney’s senior side after an early-season injury.
Parker broke his arm in a pre-season match, with the 31-year-old still unable to earn an AFL recall after 10 rounds of football.
The Swans are flying, sitting two games clear on top of the AFL ladder.
But teammate Dane Rampe is confident there is still a place in the senior side for Parker.
Rampe reacted to the mammoth ban at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.
“Immediate reaction is I’m feeling for a mate who’s missing some more footy, respectful obviously of the Frankston player who’s injured,” Rampe said.
“But on a personal level I’m just feeling for a mate who’s had a tough start to the year, and that’s where it sits.
Rampe hopes Parker will be able to prove himself when he returns.
“I’m still very confident Luke Parker has a role to play in our season,” he said.
“He knows that, I think we all know that. It’s obviously going to be a bit later than what we’d hoped, but the story hasn’t ended, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Sydney faces off against the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
