Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has criticised the AFL tribunal's decision to uphold Jacob van Rooyen's two-match ban, describing the decision as a challenge to the fabric of the game.
It was a mixed bag during a marathon five-and-a-half-hour session at the tribunal on Tuesday night.
Carlton's Nic Newman had his one-match ban for striking thrown out after the player he hit — Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale — provided some helping evidence.
But emerging Demons star van Rooyen had his two-match ban for striking upheld, and Geelong forward Brad Close failed to overturn his one-match ban for a dangerous tackle.
Van Rooyen was cited for a dangerous spoil, coming in hot to punch a ball away and hitting Gold Coast's Charlie Ballard in the head.
Van Rooyen will miss games against Hawthorn and Port Adelaide unless he successfully appeals against the ban, with the Demons saying they will appeal against the decision.
Goodwin said the ruling was "disappointing and frustrating" and "either unjust or the fabric of the game is getting challenged".
"It's important that we probably go down that path [of appealing] and looking at why that's the case and take it a bit further," Goodwin said.
"The laws state that you can contest the ball and Jacob's only [focus] was to contest the ball.
"The fabric of the game is being challenged.
"I'm a big advocate of looking after the head. I think I'm clearly stated as to how we coach and teach our players, but we also coach and teach our players to contest the ball if they think they can make the contest.
"Clearly there's been a shift and we need to get to the bottom of it as a game."
The decision to suspend van Rooyen also angered many of the game's greats, who believe the 20-year-old's attempt to spoil was within the spirit of the game.
"If Jacob van Rooyen gets suspended for that, we have become a hostage to litigation," former Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy after the game.
"That is a football accident. And that is where we are going as a game, and that is concerning."
Van Rooyen's bicep made contact with the head of Ballard, who was stretchered off the field but has since been cleared of concussion or a neck injury.
The tribunal, led by chair Jeff Gleeson, said the force of the blow was considerable and van Rooyen's actions were careless.
"We find that a reasonable player would have foreseen that in spoiling in the way he did, it would almost inevitably have resulted in a forceful blow to Ballard's head," Gleeson said.
"He launched and extended his arm out and across Ballard's head. This was not permitted incidental contact."
Richmond veteran Jack Riewoldt said van Rooyen's actions were reasonable.
"I think he's come back with the flight, tried to make a spoil, he's out of position, caught him with the bicep area," Riewoldt told Fox.
"A lot of those times when you're running back with the flight you're actually watching the eyes of the opponent to get a bit of a general gist of where the ball's going to land.
"Coaches harp onto key forwards about making a contest. You don't need to mark the ball, you just need to make a contest.
"He's tried to make a contest there, made a bit of a blue, but I don't think he's gone out of his way to nuke him."
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide forward Junior Rioli will front the tribunal to face the music for his off-the-ball strike that concussed Essendon's Jordan Ridley, collecting the Bomber high after sticking out his arm in a clumsy attempt to shepherd for a teammate.
Essendon expect Ridley to miss multiple games because of concussion as a result of the incident.
AFL match review officer Michael Christian graded Rioli's actions as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact, with the Power forward facing a ban of at least three matches unless he can downgrade some of the charges.
AAP/ABC
