MATCH Review Panel member Nathan Burke had to step aside from the Nat Fyfe case because of public comments he made before the Fremantle star was cleared on Monday. 

The League's football operations manager Mark Evans has confirmed a report in The Australian that he asked Burke not to rule on Fyfe.

The former St Kilda star agreed to step aside from the case.

"I did ask him to step aside from the Fyfe case - it was a more prudent course of action - and Nathan agreed to that," Evans told AAP.

Burke reportedly said on Sunday radio that he thought Fyfe's collision with North Melbourne midfielder Ben Jacobs would be ruled as accidental.

Evans stressed he did not think Burke's comments affected the decision to clear Fyfe of his charge.

The raging Brownlow Medal favourite now remains eligible for the game's highest individual honour.

The Fremantle midfielder came under scrutiny when he was reported for making forceful contact with Jacobs in the Dockers' loss on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.

A financial sanction – which would have been his third of the season – would have incurred an automatic one-week suspension for Fyfe and ruled him out of the Brownlow race.

Third time lucky: Why Fyfe deserved to be cleared

However, the MRP believed Fyfe was making a legitimate attempt to win the loose ball, and that he contested the ball with his arms reaching out in front of his body.

The MRP said he made "incidental" high contact to Jacobs' face with his arm and a free kick was paid.

Although Fyfe's body then followed through and hit Jacobs' chest, the panel said there was insufficient forceful high contact to see him receive a third fine.

Fyfe will be free to play for the Dockers in their clash with Melbourne on Sunday at Domain Stadium, where a win will see the club sew up a top-two position on the ladder.

Fremantle is yet to have a player win the Brownlow Medal since entering the competition in 1995.