KATIE Brennan won't pursue a Federal Court challenge to overturn her suspension for the NAB AFLW Grand Final, but the Western Bulldogs' legal team will take the AFL to the Australian Human Rights Commission to contest the ban.
After losing her case at the AFL Appeals Board on Thursday night to have her two-match ban dismissed, the 25-year-old decided that in the best interests of the team, she would not seek Federal Court intervention to attempt to play against Brisbane at Ikon Park on Saturday.
While she won't play in the AFLW decider, Brennan still believes the ruling was unfair and will fight to clear name.
Through her legal team on Friday morning, Brennan filed proceedings with the Australian Human Rights Commission seeking to have her suspension overturned and for the AFL to amend the differences between the AFLW regulations and the AFL regulations to ensure that in future, other women players are not more likely than men to be suspended for identical conduct with identical disciplinary records.
Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains said the club was fully supportive of the way Brennan had conducted herself through the whole process.
"We are immensely proud of Katie and stand by her. Our team will be doing its best to re-pay her faith in them tomorrow," Bains said.
"We share Katie’s view that her suspension was wrong, and we will fully support her challenging the AFL Rules on the basis of gender discrimination."
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan rejected suggestions of sexism over the differences in men's and women's tribunal systems, but said like all football operations, the AFLW procedures would be reviewed by general manager Steve Hocking.
"I'd say that they are different competitions, and we have different rules," McLachlan told 3AW on Friday morning.
"Saying we are sexist is unfair.
"There is a different set of rules (because) they play over seven weeks, not 22.
"There is a pay differential, that's been discussed, and that is relevant here as well.
"The fact that the tribunal system is different is only one of a number of differences because they are two different competitions.
"If (the rules) are wrong, too harsh, Steve Hocking and team will review them."
The latest storylines in the week-long saga comes after the AFL Appeals Board dismissed Brennan's bid to overturn her two-match ban.
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said following that finding the club would consider the option of taking the case to court.
"Obviously it's a terribly disappointing decision for Katie and for her teammates and the whole club, really," Gordon told reporters after the hearing.
Brennan could have accepted a one-match suspension with an early guilty plea.
It was her second offence of the season after she accepted a reprimand in round one for engaging in rough conduct against Fremantle's Stephanie Cain.
Under the system for the men's game, Brennan would have been fined for a second such offence. However, AFLW players don't receive financial sanctions.
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon, a high-powered lawyer with 30 years’ experience, said Brennan met himself, football director Chris Grant, woman’s football boss Debbie Lee and Bains on Thursday night to discuss whether to take the matter to the Federal Court.
"They all had mixed feelings about it, they all wanted to support Katie, and at different times we all wanted to fight (the ruling)," Gordon told ABC Radio on Friday.
"History will demonstrate it is just wrong."
