Dustin Fletcher will have to wait until August 31 to break Simon Madden’s 378-game mark at Essendon after the veteran defender claimed an unwanted AFL Tribunal record on Monday.
Fletcher was offered a two-game ban by the match review panel after leaping into the air to bump West Coast’s Jamie Cripps in the head during the last quarter of Sunday’s round-20 game at Etihad Stadium.
The 38-year-old’s latest ban, if he accepts it, will push Fletcher’s tally of games suspended to 20 and his total of times found guilty to 16 which is a league record.
The 378-game veteran previously shared the record with ex-St Kilda defender Steven Baker who has been found guilty 15 times.
Should Essendon decide to contest Fletcher’s rough-conduct charge at the tribunal on Tuesday, the Bombers risk a three-game penalty which would rule Fletcher out of the remainder of the home-and-away season.
Uncertainty surrounds the club’s participation in the finals series as the league prepares to announce possible penalties this week against the club over their use of supplements in 2012.
The Bombers’ premiership hopes have nose-dived in the past three weeks, slipping from second to seventh following three heavy defeats.
Essendon’s Patrick Ryder has been offered a one-match suspension for engaging in rough conduct against Cripps.
The Bombers have ruled out forward Jason Winderlich for two weeks with hamstring tightness.
Fletcher is set to miss matches against North Melbourne and Carlton before returning for the Saturday-night clash with Richmond at the MCG in the last round on August 31.
If Fletcher plays on into his 22nd season in 2014 he could join Michael Tuck (426) and Kevin Bartlett (403) in the league’s 400-game club.
The tall defender sits equal-fourth on the all-time list alongside Madden (378), trailing Robert Harvey (383).
“We will look at both the Fletch and Paddy (Ryder) incidents before deciding tomorrow morning on whether we have grounds to challenge the sanctions handed down,” Essendon general manager of football Danny Corcoran told essendonfc.com.au.
Gold Coast’s Campbell Brown has been offered a three-game ban for unreasonable contact with his boot to the face of Melbourne’s James Strauss during Saturday night’s game at Metricon Stadium.
Melbourne’s Mitch Clisby can accept a three-match ban for engaging in rough conduct against Gold Coast’s Alex Sexton.
St Kilda’s Adam Schneider and North Melbourne’s Aaron Black have been offered reprimands for engaging in rough conduct.
A tackle from Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli on St Kilda’s Jarryn Geary was deemed to be not reportable.
Jackson Trengove’s tackle on Geelong’s Mitch Duncan during the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Simonds Stadium was also cleared despite Duncan suffering a concussion.
The panel found Duncan attempted to sprint through a congested area and the Port Adelaide player’s actions were not unreasonable.