CLUNES footballer Aaron McKay, 24, has received a 10-year ban from playing after pleading guilty to a charge of kicking a Gordon player in the opening round of matches.
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It is the longest suspension in the history of the Central Highlands Football League.
The incident in the second quarter of the reserves match at Clunes last Saturday resulted in a head injury to Gordon's Tim Carey.
Both central umpires, Stephen Crane and Brett Stephenson, reported McKay who was sent from the field and did not return to the match.
The Clunes club reacted immediately and suspended its player.
But McKay said yesterday, with the help of his coach and friend Mark Petrie he would appeal the decision through the Victorian Country Football League Appeals Tribunal by lodging an appeal fee of $5000.
McKay said yesterday he had apologised for the incident but was amazed at the length of the suspension.
"I think 10 years is a hell of a lot of years for an incident with two sides to a story," McKay said.
"Ten years is out of proportion to what happened ... compared to things like Hepburn and Dunnstown," he said.
The former Redan juniors player, also had a brief playing career with Dunnstown before crossing over to Clunes.
"It is absolutely ridiculous. I have apologised to the player and the Gordon club.
"Ten years. People are sitting back laughing. He (the Gordon player, Carey) was good about it. I apologised to him ... but I got the wrong end of it, and 10 years is going to be the rest of my footy career," McKay said.
He said he had never been suspended previously.
"It was melee at the time of the incident as the umpires described it, and there was quite a few in the melee," McKay said.
"I have nothing to lose ... 10 years, you can't give me more. Maybe I could lose a few years (on appeal). I can't gain anymore."
The 10-year ban comes after the tribunal handed down a two-year suspension to Matthew Brown, after the infamous Hepburn-Dunnstown brawl in April 2000.
Brown's suspension was later reduced and he was playing again in season 2001.
Clunes reserve coach Mark Petrie said there was no "bad blood" between Clunes and Gordon over the incident last Saturday.
He said the severity of the sentence was "ludricous".
"We knew there was an incident and both clubs kept the game flowing and there is no bad blood. Aaron accepts he is guilty and everything was done right, everything except the tribunal," Petrie said.
He said he was trying to organise an appeal fee of $5000 of which $2000 was non-refundable. It was also possible the remaining $3000 could be lost if the appeal was deemed frivolous.
"We are trying to get the money organised by Monday (deadline) and if I knew that I could not lose the other $3000 I would put it up myself and he (McKay) understands that," Petrie said.
He said if anyone could assist with the raising of the money for the appeal they could contact him on 0412 525 598.
VCFL regional manager Graeme Pigdon said McKay had been granted a further business day extension for the time period to lodge an appeal because of the Anzac Day public holiday.
He said the appeal would be heard at a date to be fixed once the appeal letter and guarantee of the money had been lodged.