- Was hit by a car that ran a red light and slammed into the side of his vehicle
An AFL tribunal official has revealed he was left shaken and injured after a frightening car crash just hours after being involved in the high-profile Zak Butters tribunal hearing.
Jordan Bannister said he was lucky to escape serious harm when another driver ran a red light and slammed into his vehicle late at night, leaving his car written off.
The incident occurred about 9.30pm as Bannister was driving home, just 500 metres from his house, following a lengthy night working across multiple tribunal matters.
‘I’ve been in accidents before, had concussions and big hip and shoulders, but nothing has ever rattled me like that,’ Bannister said.
‘The car is gone and I’ve got bad whiplash but it could have been a lot worse.’
The former Essendon and Carlton player explained the full force of the impact struck the side of his vehicle, raising concerns about what could have happened if anyone else had been in the car.
AFL umpire Jordan Bannister was on his way to the tribunal hearing for Zak Butters when he was struck by another vehicle that ran a red light
The former Essendon and Carlton player was unharmed, but said if there was someone in the passenger seat they could have suffered grave injuries
Butters charge was overturned on appeal when the hearing was able to get underway
‘The driver was blaming me but she nearly killed me,’ he said.
‘I’m glad I had no passengers in the car as they would have been directly hit on that side.’
Police attended the scene and issued a fine to the other driver, with witnesses also supporting Bannister’s account of the crash.
Despite the severity of the collision, Bannister avoided life-threatening injuries but was left with whiplash and significant shock from the incident.
The crash came on the same night as the controversial tribunal proceedings involving Zak Butters, which later erupted into a major AFL talking point after the original verdict was overturned on appeal.
Bannister was not part of the panel that heard Butters’ case, though he had been working on other matters that evening as part of his role in the AFL’s disciplinary system.
The tribunal process itself has since come under intense scrutiny, particularly surrounding the conduct of another panel member, Jason Johnson, whose actions during the hearing were found to have contributed to an error of law.
Bannister, who is in his third year as a tribunal member and also works as an AFLW umpire, said he takes the role seriously and values the responsibility that comes with it.
‘I take the role really seriously and we all do, being an umpire has helped a lot,’ he said.
The former midfielder played 67 AFL games across his career and now balances his tribunal duties with family life alongside his wife and two children.
