Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 10 July 1935, page 11


ESSENDON FINDS A FORWARD

ROUGH PLAY INQUIRY !

LLEWELLYN AND SKINNER

SUSPENDED FOR SIX WEEKS

North Melbourne Men

North Melbourne the weakest team in the League competition suffered a severe blow last night when the League tribunal suspended two of its players-E Llewellyn and C Skinner-for six premiership matches, on charges of having struck opponents during the match against Essendon on Saturday

Skinner was chained by a boundary umpire (J L Lancaster) with having struck W Lowenthal (Essendon) on the back of the neck during the third quarter Lancaster alleged that Lowenthal and Skinner both ran toward the ball, and Skinner struck his opponent a quick deliberate blow in the neck Lowenthal fell and was attended by trainers

The other officials at the match said that they did not see the Incident

Lowenthal said he swung, his arms wide To shepherd Skinner who ran into his back he felt a blow on the neck and was dazed He was not in good condition It was his first match for nearly a year and it was natural that he would become dazed after such a heavy collision He did not think that Skinner would strike him deliberate!!

Mr W Gibson a member of the North Melbourne

club committee said that he saw the incident from the grandstand It appeared to him that the collision was accidental

The charge against Llewellyn was laid by Lancaster und a tour umpire (R Wllllutnsi

In a letter to the tribunal Williams stated that he was III with Influenza and could not attend In the first quarter he wrote he saw Llewellyn strike G Bell Essendon) a heavy back-handed blow on the face Lancaster said that Bell ran up behind Llewellyn and as he was passing him to Rd to the boat he was struck on the face with Llewellyn's closed fist It was a deliberate blow Bell collapsed and lay prone for several minutes until he was reviled

by three trainers

Bell said that when he ran up behind Llewellyn he was struck by the back of that players open hand on the chin as he was shepherded It was a heavy blow but quite fair if it had struck him anywhere but; on the chin It would not have affected him

Professor E W Skeats- Are you sure that it was not a closed fist that hit you?

Bell-I have eyes and I saw clearly that it was an open hand the blow could not be

avoided

Professor Skeats -Are you trying to tell us that you ran into Llewellyn's arm or that the arm ran into you?

Bell-I know what hit me The arm swung right before my eyes, and I have no doubt about the Incident I had no eli mee of getting,

out of the was

LhwcllMi said that just before the incident he had suffered a serious injury He had got out of bed to go to the tribunal meeting and would be in bed for the next few weeks When Bell tried to pass Ulm he shepherded but his arm struck Bell on the face I am Oft Hu in height, and Bell is a cnmnnrutlvclj short man If 1 c had not been the show would have struck him on the chest he said

Llewellyn explained that he had been playing League football since 1939 and previously had never been cautioned or charged with an offence on the field