BUNGAREE coach Heath Pyke will miss his team’s preliminary final showdown with Springbank after accepting a one-match ban for rough conduct.
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Pyke was reported and yellow carded for an incident with Hepburn’s Tanner Wills during the first quarter of Sunday’s semi final victory at Learmonth.
After consideration, Pyke has advised the Central Highlands Football League he will accept the set penalty, which rules him out of this Saturday’s grand final rematch with the Tigers.
Bungaree beat Springbank by 58 points to win last year’s grand final and secure its first premiership since 1991.
The sides will meet again with a place in the decider against either Gordon or Ballan on the line.
While Pyke has accepted the suspension, he was no certainty to play anyway after sustaining a hamstring injury at the weekend.
The playing coach, who left the field in the third quarter, said his decision to accept the ban was circumstantial and admitted he would be “very doubtful” to play this coming weekend even if he had have escaped sanction.
“Just the way the system works, we felt this was the best option and the safest option,” Pyke said.
“It’s not disappointment. That’s the decision that was made on the day (Sunday) and I stick by it and accept the consequences that come with it."
Pyke said the incident resulted in his first ever send-off, report and suspension, but was pleased he would still be able to coach from the sidelines against the Tigers.
Hepburn’s Steve Carman was also booked for language used at or in relation to an umpire on Sunday and must front the tribunal before he is to play again next season.
Meanwhile, Springbank officials will front the AFL Goldfields Independent Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Members of the club have been called to answer a possible breach of AFL Victoria regulation 7.6.16(v), which relates to failing to act in courteous and polite manner after a tribunal decision has been made.
This follows a hearing that saw an under-15 Tigers permit player handed a two-match ban after he was the focus of an investigation into an incident against Newlyn in July.