THE POTENTIAL loss of Brent Harvey to suspension for North Melbourne's preliminary final against the Sydney Swans would be a devastating blow for the Kangaroos. However, it would not be fatal.
Since the end of 2000, there have been 32 finals played with at least one team missing a player through suspension. The team with the suspended player has won 50 per cent of the time.
On Monday, Harvey was hit with a one-week ban from the Match Review Panel for rough conduct against Geelong's Joel Selwood in last week's semi-final.
If North Melbourne's challenge at the AFL Tribunal is unsuccessful on Tuesday night, Harvey will be a rare example of a player missing two finals in the same season for suspensions from separate games.
Of the past 14 finals series, only two (2006 and 2008) have been free of players missing games with suspension.
In 2002, defender Jason Cloke missed Collingwood's preliminary final for striking Adelaide's Tyson Edwards.
And the Magpies were dealt a blow the following season, when Anthony Rocca missed the Grand Final after striking Port Adelaide ruckman Brendon Lade.
September bad boys: Players who missed finals through suspension since 2001
| YEAR | PLAYER | CLUB | MATCH | SUSPENSION | MISSED | TEAM RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Luke McCabe | HAW | Rd 22 | 1 match for striking Andrew Thompson (StK) | EF | Won |
| 2001 | Matthew Lloyd | ESS | QF | 1 match for headbutting Darren Gaspar (Rich) | PF | Won |
| 2001 | Alastair Lynch | BL | QF | 1 match for striking Darryl Wakelin (PA) | PF | Won |
| 2002 | Mark Bickley | ADEL | Rd 20 | 5 matches for rough conduct on Darryl Wakelin (PA) | QF/SF/PF | Lost/won/lost |
| 2002 | Dustin Fletcher | ESS | EF | 2 matches for tripping Chris Judd (WCE) | SF | Lost |
| 2002 | Jason Cloke | COLL | Rd 22 | 2 matches for striking Tyson Edwards (Adel) | GF | Lost |
| 2003 | Brodie Holland | COLL | Rd 21 | 2 matches for striking Paul Williams (Syd) | QF | Won |
| 2003 | Dustin Fletcher | ESS | EF | 2 matches for striking Roger Hayden (Fre) | SF | Lost |
| 2003 | Tim Notting | BL | Rd 22 | 1 match for striking Heath Scotland (Coll) | SF | Won |
| 2003 | Anthony Rocca | COLL | PF | 2 matches for striking Brendon Lade (PA) | GF | Lost |
| 2004 | Chris Heffernan | MELB | Rd 22 | 1 match for striking Daniel Chick (WCE) | EF | Lost |
| 2004 | Kent Kingsley | GEEL | QF | 1 match for striking Chad Cornes (PA) | SF | Won |
| 2005 | Mark Ricciuto | ADEL | Rd 22 | 1 match for rough conduct on Adam Selwood (WCE) | QF | Lost |
| 2007 | Ben Johnson | COLL | Rd 22 | 6 matches for front-on contact on Daniel Bell (Melb) | EF/SF/PF | Won/won/lost |
| 2007 | Kasey Green | NMFC | Rd 22 | 2 matches striking Tom Williams (WB) | QF/SF | Won/lost |
| 2009 | Matthew Lloyd | ESS | Rd 22 | 4 matches rough conduct on Brad Sewell (Haw) | EF | Lost |
| 2009 | Patrick Ryder | ESS | Rd 22 | 1 match for striking Luke Hodge (Haw) | EF | Lost |
| 2009 | Sam Lonergan | ESS | Rd 22 | 1 match for striking Luke Hodge (Haw) | EF | Lost |
| 2010 | James Podsiadly | GEEL | Rd 21 | 2 matches for front-on contact on Bryce Gibbs (Carl) | QF | Lost |
| 2011 | Dale Thomas | COLL | Rd 23 | 2 matches for rough conduct on Garrick Ibbotson (Frem) | QF | Won |
| 2012 | Heath Grundy | SYD | Rd 23 | 1 match for striking James Podsiadly (Geel) | QF | Won |
| 2012 | Steve Johnson | GEEL | Rd 22 | 1 match for rough conduct on Dan Hannebery (Syd) | QF | Lost |
| 2012 | Nick Maxwell | COLL | QF | 2 matches for rough conduct on Paul Puoplo (Haw) | SF/PF | Won/lost |
| 2013 | Lance Franklin | HAW | Rd 23 | 1 match for rough conduct on Nick Malceski (Syd) | QF | Won |
| 2013 | Corey Enright | GEEL | QF | 1 match for striking Chris Mayne (Frem) | SF | Won |
| 2013 | Paul Chapman | GEEL | SF | 1 match for rough conduct on Robbie Gray (PA) | PF | Lost |
| 2014 | Brent Harvey | NMFC | Rd 21 | 3 matches for misconduct on Liam Picken (WB) | EF | Won |
Statistics supplied by AFL statistician Cameron Sinclair
