Sharks appeal Woods’ ban

The Albany Sharks will appeal the severity of the hefty suspension handed down to midfielder Nathan Woods tomorrow night after the midfielder was handed a six-match ban last week.

Woods was rubbed out for six matches by the Great Southern Football League tribunal for striking Royals’ Arana O’Byrne in the Sharks’ round 6 loss on May 27.

In his second game back, Woods was red-carded and reported for a late elbow in the third quarter.

The tribunal also placed Woods on a 12-month good behaviour bond.

The incident was captured on video, which is expected to be shown again tomorrow night at the appeal hearing to be heard by five different tribunal members.

Sharks president Geoff Oldfield confirmed yesterday the club was appealing the severity of the six-week ban.

Oldfield said the club would argue the suspension was too excessive and urged the tribunal to study the evidence closer.

According to the WA Country Football League tribunal manual used by affiliated leagues including the GSFL, only a player’s previous two seasons should be considered as a past record of offending. Woods had not been suspended since his player’s permit was reinstated at the start of the 2012 season.

He was suspended for eight weeks in 2010 as a colts player for the Sharks, which led to him losing his player’s permit before it was reinstated in 2012 when he joined Railways.

The midfielder also played stints at Borden in the Ongerup Football Association and Railways again last season before returning to his original club Albany under coaches Scott Sedgwick and Kim Mayfield this season.

Under regulations, players suspended for 16 weeks or more in total are automatically deregistered.

If the six-week ban is upheld, Woods will be warned by the WACFL he faces deregistration if he incurs another suspension of two weeks or more.