Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas will miss Power’s first AFL final in three years after accepting match review panel verdict

UPDATE: PORT Adelaide will not challenge defender Tom Jonas’ two-game ban from the AFL match review panel, putting him out of the first weekend of finals.

Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas, fourth from left, wrestles with Bulldogs players.

UPDATE: PORT Adelaide will not challenge the AFL match review panel’s two-game ban on defender Tom Jonas, putting him out of the Power’s first final next month.

The Power on Tuesday morning accepted the panel’s verdict on Jonas’ high bump on Western Bulldogs forward Luke Dahlhaus in Ballarat on Saturday. A challenge at the AFL tribunal ran the risk of Jonas having his penalty increased to three matches.

The match review panel’s penalty puts Jonas out of Saturday’s home-and-away closer against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval — and the Power’s first final in three seasons.

The Power’s match committee is not short of options to consider for Jonas’ role in defence. It has the experienced Jackson Trengove and key defender Jack Hombsch to consider from SANFL ranks — and should regain Jasper Pittard from the injury list.

If, as expected, Port Adelaide holds fifth spot — and hosts a home elimination final, most probably against Essendon — the Power would need to win the knock-out final for Jonas to play again this season.

If Port Adelaide usurps Richmond in fourth spot, the Power would be in a double-chance qualifying final — ensuring there is a second final for Jonas, one of the team’s best defenders this season.

Port Adelaide midfield coach Michael Voss on Monday described Jonas’ front-on contact with Dahlhaus in the third term as “innocuous” — and not worth a discussion in-house at Alberton, let alone with the AFL judiciary.

“I’d not even think of a conversation with Tom,” Voss said. “We want him to play hard and tough. And he has played that way all year.”

The match review panel handed Jonas a two-match ban on the rough conduct charge from Saturday’s win at Ballarat. It then added an extra game for Jonas’s bad record that includes the six-match suspension for the late hit on West Coast midfielder Andrew Gaff at Adelaide Oval last season.

There will be no AFL tribunal hearing this week. All players have accepted the match review panel verdicts, as follows -

SEAN DARCY (Fremantle) banned for one game for striking Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin.

JACK REDDEN (West Coast) fined $1000 for rough conduct. He is eligible to play against Adelaide at the Subiaco Oval closer in Perth on Sunday.

JAMES SICILY (Hawthorn) fined $1000 for striking Carlton midfielder Jed Lamb.

DALE THOMAS (Carlton) fined $1000 for misconduct.

BERNIE VINCE (Melbourne) fined $1500 for striking Brisbane midfielder Dayne Beams.

JAKE MELKSHAM (Melbourne) fined $1000 for pushing an opponent into an umpire.

[e-mail]