Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Izzy Nino has seen her two-match suspension in the Liberty A-League upheld after Football Australia’s Independent Disciplinary and Ethics Committee dismissed her appeal.
The American earned a red card after stepping into an altercation between Jets teammate MelindaJ Barbieri and Melbourne Victory’s Matildas forward Emily Gielnik, raising her hands to Gielnik’s neck.
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It was deemed Nino committed the offence of “assault on a player (e.g. violent conduct when not challenging for the ball) or against any other person other than a match official including an attempt to assault player”.
But the 24-year-old referred the matter to the Committee under clause 11.23(b) (ii) the Regulations on the basis that Exceptional Circumstances applied and therefore a sanction outside of the Range at the Table of Offences should be imposed (provided always that the Mandatory Match Suspension must be served).
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But the Committee dismissed Nino’s appeal after it was determined that no Exceptional Circumstances existed.
Having already served the first of a two-game ban – Newcastle’s regular-season finale against Adelaide United, the Jets shot-stopper will be sidelined for the Elimination Final against Western United at Regional Football Facility Tarneit on April 13.
She will be eligible to return for Newcastle’s next Liberty A-League match, either in the Finals Series should the Jets qualify or the opening fixture of the 2024-25 campaign.
