Brisbane Lions Doc

[Bob]

Is it true that the Queensland Rugby League will be calling on Doc McConnell for the final origin match to run side by side with Webke? Daunting prospect that, but the match fee might help recoup the $2K he needs to come up with

[injuryupdate]

I think they fined the Lions rather than the doctor in this case. Although the doctors get paid OK nowadays, it is not in the same ball park as the players, and it would be a bit rich to fine someone more money than they actually earnt for working at the match. Maybe they should calculate fines as a percentage of the match fee. Then again, Doc Macdonnell is lucky they didn't make the fine in proportion to the size of his girth, in which case he would have copped twice as much as Peverill.

[injuryupdate]

Foxsports Main Game was laughing about the incident, saying that the Penetrometer and Clegg hammer weren't needed on the Telstra Dome surface anymore because of the size of the crater left in the grass after the incident. However, the Lions were taking the incident (or the fine) more seriously, as Darren Cartwright reported:

BRISBANE Lions coach Leigh Matthews has accused the AFL of being heavy handed and of over-reacting to the club doctor's role in grabbing Essendon midfielder Damien Peverill.

The Lions will not ask club doctor Paul McConnell to foot the $2000 fine and instead pay it themselves but Matthews seriously questioned the league's intention in penalising the club so heavily.

He was also concerned with the rich wording of an AFL statement released on Wednesday attributed to the league's football operations manager Adrian Anderson.

It said: "Dr McConnell's actions in grabbing Peverill's jumper and pushing him away were unnecessary and inflammatory in the circumstances."

Peverill was fined $3500 by the AFL Tribunal for interfering with an official when he pushed McConnell to the ground during Saturday night's clash at Telstra Dome.

McConnell was trying to get to injured defender Anthony Corrie and his path was blocked by Peverill who walked two metres to stand over the stricken Lion.

"If he was to be judged on a worst-case scenario, the doctor would only have been guilty of being overzealous in his attempt to get to an injured player," Matthews said.

"Dr McConnell is a highly respected medical professional and we have great faith in his ability, and him as a person.

"Part of his nature is that he really does care for the people that he treats and if anything he has been penalised for caring too much, by trying too hard to get to an injured player."

Matthews said he would expect his medical staff to act in the same manner if a similar situation arose, with the player's safety and health far more important than politely asking opposition players to step aside.

He said club doctors should not expect opposition players to impede their path, putting responsibility for the incident on Peverill who was not involved in the collision with Corrie.

"What if the player had swallowed a mouthguard or had maybe stopped breathing?," Matthews said.