Port Adelaide star Dan Houston won't play again in 2024 - and might have played his last game for the club - after copping a five-match ban for his brutal bump on Izak Rankine.
Lisa Hannon KC, representing the AFL, argued Houston did in fact make contact with the top of Rankine's shoulder and neck.
Additionally, club medical records showed Rankine suffered an injury to his shoulder's AC joint as a result of the bump, as well as a concussion.
The Tribunal sided with Hannon, even though it acknowledged Houston's clean rap sheet.
Chair Jeff Gleeson KC said Houston had a duty of care not to tackle Rankine in a way that would result in an offence of rough conduct.
"Houston breached that duty of care, and his breach was significant," he said.
"The carelessness was significant, the impact was severe, and the consequences for Rankine were evident."
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1201613/the-verdict-is-in-giants-dasher-learns-his-fate-at-tribunal