Geelong and Hawthorn face key AFL clashes without stars Patrick Dangerfield and Luke Hodge respectively following a tumultuous Tuesday.
The Cats are looking to tighten their grip on second spot against resurgent Sydney on Friday night, while the 12th-placed Hawks must beat Richmond at the MCG on Sunday to keep their faint finals chances alive.
Dangerfield’s hopes of a second Brownlow Medal were dashed when he accepted a one-game ban for rough conduct on Carlton’s Matthew Kreuzer, while Hodge fought a one-match suspension for striking Sydney’s Tom Papley at the tribunal and lost.
Speaking after Geelong confirmed their decision, Dangerfield said his only desire was a premiership flag.
“The most important thing is being there on the final day and being triumphant,” Dangerfield said.
“We’ve got a lot to achieve this year, so we have to be pragmatic about it.”
The Cats would have risked a two-match ban for Dangerfield by taking the case to the tribunal, at a crucial stage of their season.
With a month left until the finals, Geelong have a massive home game at Simonds Stadium against the Swans (sixth).
Next week they host Richmond, currently fourth.
Cats football manager Steve Hocking said they weighed up a tribunal challenge until 10am on Tuesday morning – an hour before the deadline.
The Hawks launched an impassioned ‘steel arms’ defence at the tribunal hearing at AFL headquarters but it wasn’t enough to clear Hodge.
“We’ve got a saying – ‘steel arms’ – so if someone goes through you try to hold them or get a hand in to slow them down,” Hodge said in his evidence after club legal counsel argued he had just been trying to block Papley.
“If I think I’ve done the wrong thing (over my career) I’ve copped the whack – in this incident I didn’t punch or strike him so that’s why I’ve challenged.”
The 33-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, will miss the clash against the Tigers, which is also good mate Jarryd Roughead’s 250th game.
The 302-game veteran didn’t risk missing any extra matches if he was unsuccessful at the tribunal, but was slapped with a $2500 fine in addition to the ban.
Also on Tuesday, Sydney star Lance Franklin accepted his $1500 fine for making contact with Hodge’s face.
And Collingwood onballer Taylor Adams also took a $1000 fine for rough conduct.
