The independent Match Review Panel (MRP) – consisting of Simon Micallef (Chair), Con Diomis and Adam D’Apuzzo – convened on Monday, 6 January 2020 to consider an incident involving Harrison Delbridge of Melbourne City FC in or around the 79th minute of Melbourne City FC’s Hyundai A-League Round 13 Match against Western United FC on Friday 3 January 2020.
The MRP has authority to consider the incident in accordance with the Hyundai A-League Disciplinary Regulations (the Regulations) as Delbridge was issued with a direct Red Card by the Referee.
Further, Melbourne City FC submitted an Obvious Error (Red Card) Application (Application) challenging the issue of the Red Card.
- A. The Application
The MRP first considered the Application. As Delbridge was issued with a direct Red Card for ‘Denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, as prescribed in Law 12 of the Laws of the Game’, for the Application to be successful, the MRP would need to unanimously find that in the circumstances there was no obvious goal scoring opportunity.
The MRP considered the broadcast footage, match official reports and the submissions on behalf of Delbridge. After due consideration, the MRP held that it could not reach a finding that in the circumstances there was no obvious goal scoring opportunity and therefore the Application was dismissed.
- B. Red Card Offence
Having dismissed the Application, the MRP determined that Delbridge committed the offence of ‘Denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, as prescribed in Law 12 of the Laws of the Game’.
The MRP confirmed that Delbridge will serve a suspension of one (1) match, being the minimum sanction for the offence.
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