Sport
22 April, 2026
Macorna coach outed three weeks on eye-gouging charge
COACH Fergus Payne has been rubbed out for three weeks by the AFL Central Victoria tribunal.
Payne was charged after an incident late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's match won by his new club Macorna against Mitiamo.
Umpires referred the incident to the match review panel who charged Payne with making unreasonable or unnecessary contact to the eye region of another player.
It is believed he was offered a two-week suspension but has opted to head to the tribunal on Wednesday night.
Payne will miss at least this Saturday's clash with Bears Lagoon Serpentine and the trip to his former club Inglewood on May 2 plus against Newbridge. After going two from two in the debut season, Macorna had been rated to challenge all three sides.
The former Inglewood coach sensationally rejected a contract renewal with the Woodies after taking them a preliminary final berth last year, the club's best performance in two decades.
He was later appointed coach of Macorna who became Loddon Valley's 10th club after the Golden Rivers league disbanded and snatched Inglewood goalkicker Seb Erharter for the Tigers weeks after his Inglewood re-signing had been announced.
Macorna has won its opening two Loddon Valley season match.
Meanwhile, Newbridge has lost two reserves players to suspension after Saturday's match against Maiden Gully.
Liam Lonergan accepted a one-match ban for unduly rough play and Thomas Wilson a one-match ban for striking.
In the North Central league, two Sea Lake Nandaly reserves players were reported in the match against Boort.
Wayne Landry has accepted a one-week suspension for striking and four weeks for using abusive, insulting or obscene language towards or in relation to an umpire
Read More: Macorna, Berrimal, Boort, Mitiamo