Live: Crows, Darcy Fogarty challenge three-match striking ban at tribunal

The Crows challenge Darcy Fogarty's three-match striking ban at the AFL Tribunal, as they try to avoid losing a key forward for vital games in the lead-up to finals.Fogarty was charged after his high hit on Sydney's Harry Cunningham in the second quarter of Adelaide's game with the Swans at the SCG.Cunningham was ruled out of the game with concussion and will miss this week's match against cross-town rivals GWS. Follow all the proceedings in our live blog.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:26pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:26pmFootball act vs duty of care?Harry Cunningham was unable to continue in Friday night's game, after the high tackle from Adelaide's Darcy Fogarty (Getty Images)Without wishing to put the arguments before the hearing, some obvious lines of prosecution and defence are there.From the AFL perspective, the fact that Fogarty's tackle was high, and Harry Cunningham was left concussed as a result of the contact means, presumably, that Fogarty did not live up to his duty of care.From the Crows' side of things, no doubt they will say that it was a contest in the wet, that Fogarty was doing his job trying to earn a holding the ball free close to goal in a big game - and that his attempted tackle was a football act, and so not worth three weeks.We will see what transpires, but which side of the coin it lands between accident / football act and duty of care will probably decide how many weeks Fogarty misses, or whether he misses any at all.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:24pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:24pmBan outlined rather than sent direct to tribunalSeems strange . Why wouldn’t he appeal if it can’t get any worse ? He’d be mad not to.- PhillipPhillip,I suppose the difference here is that it's a three-match ban that has been handed down, as opposed to Fogarty being sent direct to the tribunal.That would potentially result in a four-plus week ban.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:22pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:22pmKen Hinkley named as the inaugural Tasmania Devils coachAside from this hearing, the other big news of the day came from Tasmania, where the AFL's soon-to-be 19th team has named their inaugural coach.While names like Nathan Buckley and John Longmire were high on the speculated list of potential mentors for the new team, the Devils opted for the experience of Hinkley, who is the former Port Adelaide coach.Hinkley will begin his five-year contract on November 1 this year.You can read more about his appointment in our story:Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:17pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:17pmAdelaide Crows' next three gamesAs things stand, the Crows are in fifth spot on the ladder, just 0.6 in percentage behind fourth-placed Brisbane Lions.With just five rounds left in the season, percentage will become more and more important, as the fourth-place side will most likely have to travel to Perth to take on the dominant Fremantle side in a qualifying final.Fifth-place will host their own final, but without the double chance. If they keep winning and results go their way, then third-place is a possibility, most likely travelling to Sydney to take on the Swans.None of the options are easy, but having a double chance and avoiding a trip across the Nullarbor is probably preferable, so the Crows will want as much forward fire-power available to maximise scoring.They will want Fogarty available for Collingwood this Thursday night, followed by Essendon at Docklands in round 21, and Richmond at Adelaide Oval in round 22.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:12pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:12pmNo extra penalty with a lossDoes he risk higher penalty if he loses Andrew ?- PhillipPhillip,I don't believe there is a higher penalty under the new system. It just means that Darcy Fogarty can't get a lower penalty for an early plea.As we'll see in a minute, not all three games are what you would call line-ball contests, but it's more than just the wins at stake here.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:07pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 5:07pmCheck out the incident from Swans vs CrowsHere is the incident, from late in the second quarter of Sydney's match against Adelaide at the SCG.Darcy Fogarty goes to tackle Sydney's Harry Cunningham, but appears to hit him high. Cunningham appears dazed as he lies on the ground, and he has to come off. He fails his HIA, and is ruled out for the rest of the game.Under AFL rules, he also misses the "Battle of the Bridge", or the Sydney Derby between the Swans and GWS.Fogarty's hit was assessed as careless conduct, severe impact, high contact, and the Crows forward - who kicked four goals in his team's win - was given a three-match ban.Fogarty cannot reduce the ban with an early plea.Mon 20 Jul 2026 at 4:58pmMon 20 Jul 2026 at 4:58pmWelcome to our AFL Tribunal coverageGood afternoon, and welcome to ABC's live online coverage of today's AFL Tribunal hearing involving Adelaide Crows' Darcy Fogarty.Fogarty is one of the Crows' key forwards, and they can ill afford to lose him in the run-up to finals, which is why they are challenging the Match Review Panel's three-match ban for striking Sydney's Harry Cunningham.The hearing, which is being held remotely, is due to start at 5:30pm AEST (5pm ACST).