Facing a looming suspension and fine, Aron Baynes, the central figure of Bullets, is anticipated to answer for his involvement in the unseemly melee that cast a shadow over Brisbane’s narrow three-point loss to Cairns during the heated Queensland derby.
The National Basketball League (NBL) revelaed initial penalties on Wednesday afternoon addressing disputes concerning Baynes, Lat Mayen, Cairns forward, and Taipan’s coach, Adam Forde during the match that took place at Nissan Arena last Saturday.
Baynes found his neck at the receiving end of Mayen’s elbow, a blow that caused the Olympian to retort vehemently, earning him two separate technical fouls after heated exchanges with the referees.
There were further altercations between Baynes and Forde in the vicinity of the Bullets’ dressing rooms during half-time, their confrontation recorded by security cameras. After investigating the incident, Forde was exonerated from any blame by the NBL, however, Mayen faced charges of assault leading to a one-match suspension.
Mayen, accepting a guilty plea, had his penalty reduced to a $1550 fine. Therefore, he will be back on the court for Cairns’ next NBL game against Illawarra on October 26.
Baynes’ case is in deliberation by a single-member NBL tribunal. Also, an official warning was handed to Bullets as a result of public comments made by Stu Lash, Brisbane’s senior basketball advisor, criticizing Forde.
During Wednesday’s training, Bullets missed the presence of Baynes who had contracted a stomach bug that was making the rounds in the team. Regardless, health issues taking him off the court are not viable if he is forbidden from the match against the Sydney Kings at Nissan Arena on Friday night.
“His attendance is in the balance, but we are preparing as if he will participate,” said Bullets coach, Schueller. “We will keep pushing ahead until the NBL reaches a decision.”
Bullets may not challenge potential sanctions on Baynes, both player and club see the incident as an opportunity for growth. Schueller reflecting on what transpired, said, “Aron himself realizes in retrospect that he could have handled the situation differently. What can be seen as an unfortunate incident is now a valuable lesson for us, reminding us that we could have better supported Aron as a team.”
Recognizing the implications these occurrences have on player morale, Schueller’s concern lies primarily with player welfare. He reflected, “This is an occurrence that has happened often in basketball games. Aron was initially frustrated with how the officials dealt with the situation, but everything that follows is what it is. We are a closely-knit group and our ethos is to constantly move forward.”
