Nervous wait for Rooke
24/08/2008 7:42 PM
Geelong defender Max Rooke is certain to come under the scrutiny of the AFL's match review panel after clashing with North Melbourne's Sam Power on Sunday.
Rooke clattered into Power in a marking contest during the second quarter of the Cats' 33-point win on Sunday in an incident which left the Kangaroo groggy and saw him taken from the field.
That Power returned to the field later in the game will help Rooke's cause.
However, Rooke will still have a nervous Monday to see whether he escapes suspension.
Any more than a one-match ban would have Rooke sidelined from the start of Geelong's finals campaign.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson did not want to comment on the incident but one Cats official was privately angry that Rooke was not awarded a free kick for being held on to in the same contest.
North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley said it was 'frightening' watching the collision between Rooke and Power, who was running with the flight of the ball.
"It really was. You hear around the traps where sometimes players' courage gets questioned," Laidley said.
"Let me tell you, you should never question his courage. For him to actually come on and play again, I think he actually put his head over the ball again."
"That's the effort required and that's the expectation from the coach"
But Laidley said he did not believe the incident was worthy of Rooke being reported.