Brisbane Lions Vice-Captain Tom Rockliff will miss the team's Round Two clash against Geelong after the AFL Match Review Panel (MRP) suspended him for an incident involving Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell last Saturday.
After viewing the footage of the match, the AFL MRP decided to charge Rockliff with a Level Two Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence.
Based on the MRP investigation, the video evidence available and a medical report from the Hawthorn Football Club, the incident was assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point). This is a total of five activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Two Offence, drawing 225 demerit points and a two-match sanction. He has no existing good or bad record.
Rockliff decided to take an early guilty plea, which reduced the sanction by 25 per cent to 168.75 points and a one-match sanction.
Had Rockliff and the Lions decided to contest the charge, they risked potentially losing the 2011 Club Champion for the team's Round 3 clash with the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.
Rockliff accepts ban
Tom Rockliff has accepted a one match ban handed down by the MRP