SYDNEY - Central Coast Mariners have been rocked by the news that goalkeeper Danny Vukovic has been given a 15-month ban after remonstrating with a referee on Sunday.
The 22-year-old harangued referee Mark Shield during the Mariners' A-League Grand Final defeat to Newcastle Jets for not awarding his side a penalty and appeared to slap the official's arm away before running off.
Although six months of the ban have been suspended on a probationary basis for a year, Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna is faced with the prospect of being without Vukovic for the first three months of the next Hyundai A-League season.
Vukovic will not be able to play in Australia's national league until November 24.
The Football Federation of Australia is still deciding whether the suspension should also apply to national duties and, as Vukovic is the country's first-choice goalkeeper, his trip to the Olympic Games in September is now in jeopardy.
He is also set to miss the next round of World Cup qualifiers in June.
Vukovic has seven days to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, Vukovic's team-mate Sasho Petrovski has also been cited for making an abusive gesture towards a match official and a disciplinary committee will conduct the hearing.
Central Coast will also have to explain to the FFA why it should not be sanctioned for team misconduct during the final under national disciplinary regulations.
