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LEAGUE boss Aaron McGlynn admits there’s only “so much” it can do to stop under-fire North Albury coach Jason Akermanis coaching the Hoppers in round one next season.
Akermanis is not allowed to enter the field of play, or hold a match-day role, in North Albury’s season-opener after being handed a one-match ban for unbecoming conduct by the tribunal.
The 2001 Brownlow medallist was banned for four matches, with three suspended, when he appeared on a charge of breaching AFL Victoria’s cyber safety policy.
Akermanis has retired from playing and, while he’s not allowed to coach, McGlynn conceded the league could police things only to a certain extent.
“He can’t hold an off-icial duty on match-day and can’t take the field at the breaks but there’s nothing we can do about stopping him watching over the fence or anything like that,” he said.
“From our point, it’s all been dealt with and we move on.”
Akermanis will become the first player since former Wodonga coach Ben Hollands to be banned from coaching.
Hollands, who retired at the end of this season after a glittering career with the Bulldogs, sat out a week in 2011, guilty of using abusive language towards umpires. He was also fined $750.
In a twist, Dean Harding, the man who filled in for Hollands that day, is now in charge of the Bulldogs full time.