Fremantle veteran Nat Fyfe will miss Sunday's crunch clash with Essendon at the MCG after failing to overturn his one-match ban for striking.
Fyfe was charged after collecting West Coast midfielder Jai Culley in the face with his right forearm in an off-the-ball push gone wrong.
The two-time Brownlow medallist pleaded not guilty to the striking charge when he fronted the AFL Tribunal hearing on Tuesday night.
Fremantle's back-up argument was the conduct should be graded as careless rather than intentional.
Fyfe chose not to give evidence, leaving both sides to unpick the grainy vision from an incident that happened 40m off the ball.
Fremantle counsel Seamus Rafferty argued Culley was the first to push, and Fyfe was merely pushing back.
"Fyfe raises his arm ... it's actually both arms to push in response," Rafferty said.
"Culley is 194cm, Fyfe is 191cm. They are both of a similar height.
"Fyfe's right hand, which is always open, actually makes contact with the outside of Culley's left arm in the course of that push motion.
"Fyfe's arm never goes above his own chest height against a person who is almost exactly his same height.
"His arm slips across and goes to the chin."
AFL counsel Andrew Woods said all the evidence pointed towards it being a strike.
"What you see is Fyfe's left arm is not doing what his right arm is doing. It's the right arm that strikes," Woods said.
"That left arm does stay quite bent and down. You'll also see that Fyfe's body turns towards the position where his right arm is being forced towards Culley.
"It's not simply a fend or a push. All those aspects indicate it's a strike, because you see the turning of the body following that raised arm."
After deliberating for 38 minutes, AFL Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said Fyfe's actions constituted an intentional strike.
"Fyfe carries no onus of proof and is not obliged to give evidence," Gleeson said.
"We simply note this leaves us largely with the vision and medical report.
"Fyfe's body turns to the right consistent with an intent to strike.
"Culley was not injured but was clearly hurt and the potential for injury was not insignificant."
Meanwhile, Gold Coast's Bodhi Uwland is free to play in Friday night's clash with West Coast in Perth after overturning his one-match ban for a body slam-style tackle on Lachie Neale.
Uwland won a free kick for the strong tackle, Gleeson saying the action didn't constitute a rough conduct charge.
