TERANG Mortlake co-captain Damian O'Connor will miss the Bloods' showdown against reigning premier Koroit this weekend after he was last night handed a three-match ban for striking.
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The independent tribunal found the veteran midfielder guilty of striking North Warrnambool Eagles tagger Hank Schlaghecke in their round one Hampden league battle at Bushfield Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
O'Connor, 33, pleaded not guilty, claiming the incident was a case of self-defence.
The five-time Terang Mortlake best and fairest winner said he raised both arms to defend himself after noticing a player run towards him as he was preparing to stand the mark for being "pinged for incorrect disposal" in the second quarter.
O'Connor admitted he struck Schlaghecke high to his right side but was adamant it was with a right forearm, not a left elbow as the Eagles' witnesses described.
"I did it to protect myself," he said.
"It was a reflex action.
"It was high, it would have been to the throat, chin area."
Schlaghecke said he remembered the incident and was running towards O'Connor at a jogging pace.
"My job in the team was to follow him all day," he said.
"As I was going towards him, he elbowed me.
"It was to the right side of my jaw.
"I am 100 per cent positive it was an elbow."
Schlaghecke, who ended up on the ground but walked from the field with trainers by his side, was given a medical check-up in the Eagles' change rooms.
He started to feel unwell with a headache and was taken to hospital where he spent an hour and a half.
He returned to the club rooms that night for tea but did not drink as per medical advice and had Monday off work to recover.
North Warrnambool Eagles trainer Daniel Smith, one of the club's two witnesses, said Schlaghecke started to feel the effects a short time after he left the ground.
"He was quite lucid. All the questions we asked him he answered correctly," Smith said.
"(But) during the process of having a shower and getting changed he was getting worse. That was a red flag for us.
"He could recall the incident but couldn't remember where he'd parked his car."
Terang Mortlake advocate Gary Ayres said O'Connor acted to defend himself, labelling the incident "an unfortunate accident".
"Anyone is going to put their hands up to their head to protect themselves," he said.
Colac and District Umpires Association central umpire Ray McDougall reported O'Connor and gave him a red card, subsequently ending his game.
O'Connor said he saw no point arguing with his red card send-off and left the field without speaking.
Ayres questioned McDougall's decision to hand O'Connor a red card, saying it was incorrect under the rule book.
McDougall said: "It is probably not in the rule book. I used commonsense".
The Bloods suffered a 38-point loss to the Eagles after they failed to kick a goal after half-time.
Terang Mortlake held a three-point lead at the main break of Saturday's match.
O'Connor was sent off with just minutes remaining in the second quarter.
He will miss matches against the Saints, South Warrnambool and Cobden.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au