Blue Stevens takes case to the AFL tribunal

CARLTON midfielder Nick Stevens risks being unavailable until round four of the premiership season by choosing to contest the striking charge against him from last Saturday's NAB Challenge match against Fremantle in Bunbury.

Stevens will appear at the AFL tribunal at 5pm on Tuesday to challenge the two-match suspension imposed by the match review panel for striking Fremantle's Nic Suban.

He opted not to accept the offer of a one-match ban for an early guilty plea.
 
Stevens already will miss round one after accepting a one-match suspension last year for striking Hawthorn's Rick Ladson in the final game of the season, so will not be available until round four if he fails to overturn the sanction for the Suban incident.

Melbourne's Clint Bartram has accepted a reprimand and 93.75 points towards his future record for making forceful contact from the front-on against the Western Bulldogs' Daniel Giansiracusa in their NAB Challenge match at Casey Fields on Saturday.