Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo is considering challenging his reprimand from the AFL match review panel in a bid to keep his clean record.
The Crows skipper was offered a reprimand by the panel for striking Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff during Saturday’s game.
The panel deemed van Berlo’s action in the lowest category of striking, level one, and offered him a reprimand and 45 demerit points.
But van Berlo, who had never been charged with any offence since making his AFL debut in 2005, wants to retain his blemish-free record.
He says his contact with Rockliff was accidental as he tried to handball.
“To be honest, I don’t know what more I could have done in that situation, I was just trying to get the ball out as we’re instructed to do as players,” van Berlo told reporters on Monday.
“I’ll have a chat with the relevant people at the footy club to see if it’s worth challenging that to keep my clean record. There was no intent there other than to clear the ball.”
Van Berlo said he took pride from his clean record.
“I like to play hard, play the ball and play in the right spirit of the game,” he said.
The match review panel cleared Melbourne defender Tom Gillies for his tackle on Essendon forward Alwyn Davey on Saturday.
The tackle sent Davey into the fence and he was awarded a free kick but the panel ruled the force used was not enough to warrant a charge.
Geelong onballer Mathew Stokes was also cleared for making high contact with North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson during Sunday’s match.