Saints accept Baker ban
24/08/2007 8:55 PM
St Kilda president Rod Butterss has confirmed the Saints will not appeal Steven Baker's seven-match suspension at the Supreme Court.
Butterss said on Friday night that his club had accepted the decision of the AFL Appeals Tribunal, which refused on Thursday night to overturn the seven-match ban handed to Baker by the league's tribunal on Tuesday night.
Baker had been booked for using rough conduct in his collision with Fremantle's Jeff Farmer in last Saturday's match at Telstra Dome.
"We have since today taken the advice that it would be somewhat futile to take this matter any further, ie to go off to the Supreme Court," said Butters at his president's function on Friday night.
"We therefore take that advice and we'll take the matter no further sadly."
"There is precious little point in taking on an 800-pound gorilla in a fight if you don't have a fair or reasonable chance of winning that fight. That is the end of the matter."
Butterss lamented how Baker was a victim of being too honest at the tribunal.
"Sadly by telling the truth he copped a seven-week suspension. Ironically just a few weeks earlier by telling a lie a player received a $15,000 fine," he said.
"I'm sure, like you, I'd probably prefer the $15,000 fine."