PLAYERS' duty of care for opponents will be under the microscope like never before when Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard fronts the Tribunal to fight his rough conduct charge.
Maynard faces the prospect of missing the rest of the Magpies' premiership tilt over his jumping attempted smother that knocked out Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw.
The Collingwood defender has labelled the incident, which was graded severe impact, high contact and careless conduct, a "footy act".
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said the case would define what players' duty of care looked like in such "football acts".
"Ultimately, we're looking at what a duty of care looks like in this space," Goodwin said on Tuesday.
"To have a player concussed (unconscious) for two minutes, I think we're all looking at the different types of footy acts that are out there and the space that we've come to in this area.
"We've come a long way as an industry about how we protect the head - whether that be within tackles, within bumps, with a whole range of different football acts.
"This is another example of what does a duty of care look like in a football act and the whole footy world will be looking at what the outcome of this result is and we'll certainly be one of those clubs."
Goodwin was point blank with his assessment of the incident when asked for his thoughts after the match on Thursday night.
"Look, you can only go by the facts," he said at the time. "He (Maynard) jumped off the ground and knocked a guy out."
Melbourne's medical report on Brayshaw will form part of the evidence presented to the Tribunal.
Goodwin wouldn't be drawn on reports Maynard had visited Brayshaw, his former junior football teammate, at his house.
Brayshaw will miss the Demons' semi-final against Carlton under concussion protocols and is no certainty to return next week if Melbourne advance.
If Maynard's post-match comments are any guide, he will likely argue he had no other option in the moment than to attempt to smother Brayshaw's kick and that contact with his opponent was accidental, not malicious.
"I don't want to say too much, but it's a footy act," Maynard told the Seven Network after the final siren last Thursday night.
"I came forward, I jumped to smother the ball and yeah, unfortunately I just got him on the way down."
Maynard will learn his fate on a busy Tuesday, when Carlton forward Jack Martin challenges his two-match ban for striking Sydney's Nick Blakey.
Martin will find it tough to get his striking ban thrown out but he could argue against the grading of his right-handed blow to Blakey, who was attempting to pick up a ground-ball when he was struck.
The hit was graded as careless conduct, high impact and high contact.
If Martin's suspension is reduced, he could return in a preliminary final if Carlton advance - or in round one next year.
Melbourne forward Jacob van Rooyen will miss the semi-final against the Blues after accepting his one-match suspension for striking Collingwood's Dan McStay.
