Paul Gorris slammed the referees following the Capital’s four-point loss to Perth. File Photo.
The WNBL has slapped the University of Canberra Capitals with a $2,500 fine for postgame outbursts criticising the referees after forward Kelsey Griffin suffered a nasty cut to her head during the Caps loss to the Perth Lynx last Friday night (30 November).
Coach Paul Gorris slammed the referees after his star recruit was left with blood gushing from her head from an errant elbow from Perth Lynx’s Asia Taylor in the second quarter.
Griffin required stitches but the WNBL said it had cleared Taylor for her involvement in the incident.
In vision released on Monday (3 December), Taylor’s elbow clearly makes contact with Griffin’s head while attempting a lay-up, but the referees called the foul against Griffin, despite her injury.
Griffin did return to the contest in the third quarter and played just over 16 minutes in the second half.
Goriss was clearly seething postgame and did not hold back in his presser.
“It’s not rugby that we play over here. I thought we were here for a basketball game. That’s brutal when someone has blood bleeding from their head from an errant elbow and it’s not stopped,” Gorris said following the four-point defeat.
“It happened last time and it continues to happen. No-one does anything about it. It’s up to the league to step in and do something about it. I’ve had my say several times. It falls on deaf ears. People continue to get away with how they play.
“It’s going to take someone to be severely injured for something to happen, otherwise someone has to step up and take some responsibility.”
The WNBL slapped the Capitals with the hefty fine for “inflammatory comments” made by Gorris and his players after investigating the incident and concluding that the contact was incidental and “an unfortunate occurrence that can take place within the game of basketball”.
“These comments are considered to be prejudicial to the interests and reputation of the WNBL, the Perth Lynx WNBL team and their athletes,” the statement said.
The Capitals have been given three days to challenge the penalty and are currently reviewing the sanction but no decision has been made.
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