OUT-of-contract Fremantle forward Jeff Farmer was today handed a one-match ban from the AFL's match review panel. Farmer, 31, accepted the penalty prescribed to him by the MRP for a forearm to the head on West Coast's Mark Nicoski during the Dockers' 33-point win in yesterday's Western Derby at Subiaco Oval.
Farmer's poor record meant the original penalty, a mere reprimand, was bumped up to a one-match ban because it inflated his demerit points tally from 125 to 187.50. His early guilty plea reduced that to only 140.63 points, still over the one-match ban threshold. Which all makes for an interesting round of player-manager-club discussions at season's end.
Fremantle have won just four games this year and their season ends in four weeks' time. Whether Farmer's bumpy career at the port city ends at the same time remains to be seen, but team-mate Michael Johnson hopes not.
"Jeff's a leader to all the Aboriginal boys at the club and also to a lot of younger guys," Johnson said today. "I would like to see him stick around for a couple more years because I reckon 'Wiz' is a great leader on the field and a lot of boys look up to him.
"If I've got anything to talk about he's always there to back me up. He's sort of like another brother to me. I haven't spoken to Wiz about his future. I think he's spoken to his manager but the way I've seen it I think he'll be playing on next year."
Fremantle is on record in saying it would wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to re-sign the 246-game veteran.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Monday, August 4, 2008
Last Modified on 04/08/2008 23:02