Former Coleambally coach, Josh Hamilton, may learn by the end of the year whether he's eligible to return to Australian rules, after applying to have his de-registration lifted.
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Hamilton attended a re-registration hearing in Wagga earlier this month. The hearing has been adjourned until December.
The ruckman last played in August 2017, when he was suspended for three-weeks for head-butting.
On top of an eight-week ban in the 2016 Farrer League grand final, plus prior charges, it took his record beyond the 16-game limit which triggers automatic de-registration. It's effectively a life ban unless a player is successful in appealing for a return.
The re-registration hearing panel must be satisfied that a player is genuinely rehabilitated or committed to ongoing rehabilitation and is unlikely to re-offend, or pose an unacceptable risk.
AFL Southern NSW's Paul Habel said any de-registered player is entitled to apply after 12 months.
"He's got a right to be re-registered, he's served his 12 months. It's part of a process and anyone (who's de-registered) is allowed to do it," Habel said.
"Just because it's part of the process, it's not a fait accompli (re-registration) is going to happen. You go to the hearing, present all aspects and the panel considers all aspects of the appeal and will make a decision."
The national de-registration policy says a player's de-registration takes effect at the end of the suspension which takes a player to the 16-game limit. Hamilton's three-week ban was for an incident against Charles Sturt University in round 17, 2017, meaning he had two games to serve in the 2018 season before it formally kicked in.
The policy allows for a player to apply for re-registration only after 12 months, and once in any year.
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