WRFL star to face tribunal

Graham from Wyndhamvale will appear before the tribunal after rival club Hoppers Crossing laid a video-based rough conduct charge against him arising from a division one match on May 7.

WRFL football operations general manager David Newton said clubs had the ability to report players based on a video evidence.

Newton said it could be difficult to have tribunal hearings within a week in these circumstances, so it was nothing out of the ordinary to have this case being held so close to the inter-league fixture.

Newton said it was important to have the report resolved before the “Battle of the West”.

Graham arrived at Wyndhamvale as a three-time North Gippsland league best and fairest, having played with Traralgon Tyers.

Newton said Graham was one of four new players to the WRFL this season in the final squad.

He said there was real belief in the group, “real excitement”, as it looked to bounce back from a loss to Eastern last year.

Meanwhile, the BFL will round off its preparation at the Eastern Oval on Thursday night.

Head coach Shaun O’Loughlin and his panel of assistant coaches – Gavin Webb (Lake Wendouree), Glenn Wilkins (East Point), Matthew Cape (Darley), Rick Horwood (Sunbury) and Eammon Gill (Redan) – released their final squad on Wednesday.

O’Loughlin said there was great energy in the team.

“We’ve selected on form.”

CENTRAL Highlands Football League also has its last inter-league squad training session at Bungaree on Thursday night

The CHFL plays Geelong District at Bungaree on Saturday. Central Highlands has won all its four games since returning to representative football.