Coleambally coach Josh Hamilton defended the tackle on Sam Fisher that sparked a final-quarter fight in the Blues’ win at Ardlethan, saying it was an accidental head clash that resulted in the Northern Jets co-coach being stretchered off.
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“He was coming up with the ball, I was coming in for the tackle and made first contact with the shoulder and then our heads clashed,” Hamilton said.
“I hope he’s fine. It dazed me as well. It was just an accident.
“Then old mate (Ben Prentice) ran in, I copped a couple, but there was nothing in it.”
Prentice leapt to Fisher’s defence, to which Hamilton objected and the pair traded blows.
After they were separated, Coleambally’s James Fallon became involved, for which he and Prentice were both yellow-carded.
Fisher’s co-coach, Darren Jackson, was disappointed the umpires didn’t take action at the original incident.
“I can’t understand how you get hit in the head and not even get a free kick out of it,” Jackson said.
Fisher later returned to the bench but not to the field. Jackson expects him to be right for next week.
Hamilton admitted he needs to work on keeping his composure but again insisted there was no malice in the initial contact.
“It’s probably more the after-effect that I’ve got to watch – them coming in and me firing up,” he said.
“I’m still allowed to tackle, mate. I don’t see that tackle as being unfair at all. There was no swinging arm or anything like that.”