Ban a chance for Dale Thomas to recuperate, but Brownlow Medal out of reach

The downside is that the in-form midfielder will be ineligible to win this year's Brownlow Medal.

While the Magpies will delay a decision until a meeting with Thomas this morning, it's unlikely they will risk fighting a striking charge at the AFL Tribunal.

A failed challenge would swell the penalty to two matches, forcing him out of action for a month.

Thomas must sit out the Queen's Birthday clash against Melbourne at the MCG on Monday.

Collingwood's bye the next round means he won't be back until the Round 14 away game in Sydney.

The valuable midfielder will continue to join all training sessions during his enforced break.

The AFL match review panel assessed his blow to St Kilda opponent Clint Jones as intentional conduct with low impact.

A Saints medical report, requested by the panel, said Jones had to leave the field for treatment to a cut lip, but suffered no other discomfort.

The offence drew a two-game suspension, but it was already halved by a demerit-points reduction for a five-year good record.

Young Melbourne midfielder Jack Trengove found himself in trouble in his first game back from a three-game suspension, but this time he's only out of pocket.

Trengove can accept a $900 fine for negligent contact with field umpire Chris Donlon at the MCG on Friday night.

Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave, Swan Ben McGlynn and West Coast's Scott Selwood have escaped with reprimands.

Hargrave and Selwood must carry 70.31 and 93.75 demerit points respectively from striking charges, while McGlynn has 60 from a tripping offence.

Gold Coast's David Swallow and West Coast's Jack Darling are still eligible for the AFL Rising Star award after match-day reports for rough conduct and striking were thrown out.

Adelaide's Richard Douglas escaped penalty for the bump that left North Melbourne's Jamie Macmillan with a fractured cheekbone after the panel decided the Crows player made a legitimate attempt to contest the ball.

Chris Judd avoided a fine when the panel decided a retreating field umpire contributed to a collision by deviating into the Carlton skipper's path at a stoppage in the third quarter.

As a Collingwood Member I say, silly boy Daisy, you deserved a week, but on watching the replays a few times, it would appear you copped one a couple of seconds earlier and dished it out in retaliation (to the wrong player). Will the MRP suspend the player who hit you first? Don't think so. All the bookies will be laughing all the way to the bank, as Brownlow betting is 'all in' - no refunds.

Tennis Channel and ESPN Extend French Open, Australian Open ...

PARIS -Tennis Channel and ESPN have extended the French Open and Australian Open multimedia programming alliance they began in Roland Garros in 2007. Both networks will continue to offer matches virtually round the clock from both events, two of the sport’s four major “Grand Slam” tournaments, with complementary coverage and cross-promoted schedules. A noteworthy evolution, however, will see the networks tweak the French Open broadcast schedule, with ESPN moving to cover the early morning matches, and Tennis Channel’s window running contiguously from 10 a.m. ET, throughout the night and up to the next day’s play. Additionally, Tennis Channel offer 10 consecutive nights of prime-time match play during its Australian Open window, without any intermittent days off.

The four-year agreement begins with the 2012 French Open and 2013 Australian Open.

Tennis Channel will cover close to 60 hours of live French Open matches in Paris; an additional 30-plus same-day delay hours; and more than 140 hours of prime-time news, feature, interview, highlight, show French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee. Beginning with the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne, however, the network’s 13 days of live coverage will now include 10 consecutive nights of prime-time matches, first Monday through Wednesday of the second week, without any intermittent days off. Also a first, Tennis Channel will be able to stay with men’s matches that run longer than its two-hour programming windows, which it was previously only able to do during women’s matches.

“Not only is there more championship-caliber tennis on television week-after-week than ever before, but consistent, daily schedules allow fans to follow and enjoy this sport in a way that was impossible even just a few years ago,” said Ken Solomon, chairman and CEO, Tennis Channel. “With this arrangement there will be no more guesswork during the Australian Open: just turn your TV on when you get home at 7 o’clock and we’ll be there live, night after night. Tennis fans are the big winners here, as has been the case ever since Tennis Channel and ESPN started working together”

Tennis Channel will again televise close to 30 hours of live matches at the Australian Open, and offer another 75 hours of daily show Australian Open Today.

Beginning next May, a typical televised day at the French Open will begin with ESPN2 from 5 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, followed immediately by coverage on Tennis Channel for the remainder of play. French Open Tonight will appear on Tennis Channel in prime time for three-and-a-half hours and, as is the case now, re-air throughout the night, right up to the next morning’s play on ESPN2. Tennis Channel will also produce and distribute many additional hours of coverage via multi-match interactive telecasts.

Media information Australia

Press, radio & TV guide, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands

Reg Grundy

Melbourne

Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia No. 33 - 1940