RICHMOND defender Nathan Broad has been suspended for four matches for his sling tackle that left Adelaide's Patrick Parnell concussed.
On a lengthy night at the Tribunal, it was better news for Gold Coast's Charlie Ballard, who had his one-match ban for a strike on Essendon's Matt Guelfi overturned, leaving him clear to face Geelong on Sunday.
All eyes were on Broad's case though after Match Review Officer Michael Christian charged him with rough conduct for his tackle, which was graded as careless conduct, severe impact with high contact.
RECAP Nathan Broad and Charlie Ballard's Tribunal cases as they happened
In 50 minutes of evidence, the AFL pushed for the lengthy ban, saying the tackle was "moving towards a higher grading of severity" and compared it to a four-week suspension suffered by Scott Lycett in 2021 for a similar tackle on Ned McHenry.
The AFL said aside from Parnell's concussion, there was further potential to cause injury.
Broad pleaded guilty, with his counsel Sam Tovey asking for leniency and a three-week ban due to his "good character".
But the Tribunal decided the offence was serious enough to warrant four games, with chairman Jeff Gleeson offering a warning to all players.
"We repeat tonight, players must do all they reasonable can not to cause avoidable head injuries to fellow players," Gleeson said.
"Every player is now taken to be aware of the damaging and sometimes long-term consequences of concussion.
"If not for the early guilty plea to all elements of the charge and the clear contrition (shown by Broad), our starting point for the sanction may have been more than four matches, but taking into account all the circumstances I've mentioned, we start with a base sanction of four matches."
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Tovey pushed hard for the suspension to remain at three weeks, saying that although the tackle was "self-evidently harmful", the three-time premiership Tiger showed genuine remorse and had not been banned in 110 AFL and 45 WAFL games.
He said from the moment the incident happened, Broad showed his care, immediately telling opponent Darcy Fogarty he shouldn't have done it, apologising to Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks, and then sending Parnell a text.
"I don't want you to accept my apology, but I shouldn't have done it," the text read.
"Sorry mate. It was sh*thouse. I hope you're ok and recover well."
Tovey said it was not the same as Lycett's tackle on Crow Ned McHenry in 2021, which earned the Port ruckman a four-week suspension.
Richmond argued Broad was spinning Parnell to take him over the boundary line, whereas Lycett's was in open play and he deliberately tossed the Crow over his shoulder and into the ground.
Broad will miss matches against Collingwood, Western Bulldogs, Sydney and Melbourne.
Ballard had more luck though, after arguing he had no intention of striking Guelfi.
The Suns defender was charged with striking and handed a one-match ban for an incident that was graded as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.
The only part he sought to argue was that the action was careless, not intentional.
"I was getting blocked, and I was trying to fend off the players blocking me," Ballard said in giving evidence.
"I ended up fending off Guelfi. First contact went to his arm … then the head. It was all in trying to get to (opponent Harry) Jones.
"I was disappointed it was given a free kick. It didn't feel that hard."
After some back-and-forth between the lawyers over what constituted a strike, the Tribunal agreed with Ballard.
Gleeson said the force applied in strikes to the body, like this instance, needed to be greater than strikes to the head to constitute a reportable offence.
"We accept Mr Ballard's straightforward evidence that he intended to fend off Guelfi and did not intend to strike him," Gleeson said.
"We find the strike to the head was careless, but not intentional."
Ballard will now receive a fine instead and is free to face the Cats.
