Andrew Gaff has arrived in Melbourne for his AFL tribunal hearing, with the West Coast star being quickly escorted away by Tullamarine Airport staff.
Gaff avoided the waiting media scrum inside the terminal after he and an Eagles official got off a Virgin Australia plane from Perth late on Tuesday morning and were loaded straight into a waiting ute.
The under-fire midfielder will front the tribunal on Tuesday night for the punch that left Fremantle youngster Andrew Brayshaw with a broken jaw.
The blow also left the Dockers teenager with three displaced teeth and he cannot eat solids for a month.
Gaff was referred directly to the tribunal after the incident during Sunday’s tumultuous match, with the incident assessed as intentional contact with severe impact to the head.
Days after they shared a game of golf, Gaff ended Brayshaw’s AFL season and now Gaff faces the same fate.
It is the biggest tribunal case of the year, eclipsing the five-game suspension for GWS star Jeremy Cameron.
Precedents point to a seven-game ban for Gaff, which would be season-ending.
His best case is that the penalty somehow is reduced to six matches.
But even then the only way he returns this year is if the Eagles make the grand final after losing their qualifying final.
Sydney forward Barry Hall was suspended for seven games in 2008 after he knocked out West Coast opponent Brent Staker.
Last year, Melbourne forward Tomas Bugg knocked out Sydney defender Callum Mills in a similar incident to Gaff’s punch.
Bugg was banned for six weeks, but Mills played the following week.
The direct referral of Gaff’s case means the penalty is up to the tribunal jury.
Gaff had a spotless tribunal record before Sunday but the incident has renewed calls for an AFL send-off rule.
It also prompted a statement from WA Police after talk that Gaff should face a criminal charge for the punch.
West Coast have apologised to the Brayshaw family and the Dockers over the incident.
The hearing will get underway at the AFL’s Etihad Stadium headquarters at 5pm local time.
GWS youngster Jacob Hopper will appear after Gaff, having elected to fight a fine for careless contact with an umpire.