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“You just can’t”: Simpson’s advice to players following Bailey suspension
Nicholas Quinlan • July 12th, 2025 4:56 pm
SEN’s Adam Simpson has advised players to stop bumping following the decision to suspend Brisbane’s Zac Bailey.
This follows Bailey being charged on Friday for rough conduct by the Match Review Officer after a bump on Carlton’s Nick Haynes in the Lions’ Thursday night win against them.
The incident took place during the third quarter, with Bailey’s bump being deemed to have made high contact, resulting in medium impact. It was also classed as careless conduct.
This sees Bailey facing a one-match suspension, which will see him miss the Lions clash against the Western Bulldogs.
Following the MRO’s decision, Simpson was confused by the decision and believes it is in the best interest of players to avoid the action altogether to prevent the risk of suspension.
“I don’t know, I get confused by it all,” Simpson professed on SEN’s Crunch Time.
“I went through a period thinking you had to get concussed to get in trouble (with the MRO).
“Then a few people got a concussion, and they didn’t get into any trouble, so it’s clearly the bump.
“You just can’t bump. They might as well say it’s illegal to bump.”
Former Hawthorn and Brisbane player Luke Hodge would agree with Simpson, adding there wasn’t much Bailey could do.
Hodge now feels it is up to sports barrister and former General Manager of Football Operations, Adrian Anderson, as to whether Brisbane could successfully appeal this decision to the Tribunal.
“And that’s the thing, what else could he do?” Hodge said.
“He couldn’t tackle him because he didn’t have possession of the ball.
“The AFL said that if you opt to bump and you make contact with his head, whether you mean it or not, it falls back on you.
“It was a fair bump, and it was shoulder on shoulder and into his head. The only person who’s going to make this decision is Adrian Anderson.”
AFL.com.au’s Josh Gabelich would confirm that Brisbane Lions General Manager of Football Danny Daly has met with Anderson to see whether the Lions could about the decision.
“I expect the Brisbane Lions to appeal this one,” Gabelich said.
“Danny Daly will meet with Adrian Anderson today to work through what that would look like.
“We’ll have to wait till Monday for the confirmation of the appeal.”
If the appeal is to go through, it will make for an interesting week for the Tribunal with Carlton’s Adam Cerra going before them.
He would be sent to the tribunal following that match for contact with an umpire. This was his fourth instance within a two-year period, which makes him the first player to face the tribunal following the AFL’s creation of this rule earlier in the month.
Cerra faces the possibility of being suspended or fined.
