Sydney veteran Luke Parker facing massive ban for hit that sent Frankston player Josh Smith to hospital

Sydney Swans veteran Luke Parker will certainly be sidelined by VFL after a high tackle on Frankston’s Josh Smith on Friday.

Parker, who has not been seen in AFL level this season, although he recovered from a broken hand he suffered on the eve of the seasonwas playing his fourth straight week at a lower level when he made the reckless decision.

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Parker ran onto the ball and set up Smith with a crushing second-half strike for the Swans Reserves against Frankston at Kinetic Stadium on Friday night.

The ball was over five meters behind the former Swans captain when he brought out Smith, who was sent to hospital with facial injuries.

He is believed to have suffered a cheekbone injury.

Parker will be suspended by the VFL, which will also make him unavailable for AFL selection, at a time when he looked almost certain to receive a recall.

After a dominant month in the reserves, Parker had a place opened up for him in the seniors by the injured Robbie Fox, who picked up an injury against Carlton on Friday night, and possibly another by Chad Warner, who could be suspended for his hit on Mark Pitonet.

But now he will have to wait even longer to make his way back into the AFL.

“I can see him coming back into the team at some point,” said Kate McCarthy at Armchair Experts.

“I would have thought with (Robbie) Fox’s injury it would be next week.

“But from what we’ve seen of the grainy footage, I believe he’s going to face pretty close scrutiny on that.

“It was a block off the ball, he caught it, the ball went past him and then he copied it high.

“From everything we’ve seen so far this year, it’s definitely going to be at least a week, which would mean he’s out for another week, but I’d say it’s more than that.”

Adam Cooney said it would take more than a week.

“Eight, nine years ago, you would have called him a perfect shepherd for the man who walks through him. Now you know you can’t do that,” he said.

“It was so unnecessary and if the injuries that are being reported are true, he’s going to be out for a couple of weeks – which is a shame because with Fox’s injury, there was a spot he could probably come in.”