Hortin cops five-week ban for fracturing opponent’s cheekbone

Railways forward Zak Hortin will unlikely play again this season after being suspended for five matches by the Great Southern Football League tribunal tonight.

Hortin, pleaded not guilty to striking North Albany defender James Langridge last Saturday but was found guilty by the three member panel in less than an hour.

Langridge suffered two fractures to his cheekbone from the incident in the second quarter which was graded as intentional and high impact by the tribunal.

Hortin was red carded and subsequently reported following the incident which occured after a goal.

The tribunal heard from reporting umpire Craig Tonkin and Langridge via audio link from Perth where he remains for surgery to fix the fractures.

Video footage of the incident was also shown to the tribunal.

Railways argued the movement of Langridge was a contributing factor in the severity of the injury.

The Tigers are one win adrift from the top four with four matches remaining and would need to reach the preliminary final for Hortin to play again.

The incident is the sixth striking incident and resulting red card from league matches this season continuing an ugly spate of violent striking acts.