Robbie Gray to miss Round 1 after losing bump ban appeal at AFL Tribunal

PORT Adelaide star Robbie Gray will miss his side’s Round 1 clash with Fremantle after losing his appeal to a one-game suspension at the AFL Tribunal.

Robbie Gray will miss the opening round of the season after a high bump on Jeremy McGovern.

PORT Adelaide star Robbie Gray will miss his side’s Round 1 clash with Fremantle after the Power lost their appeal to a one-game suspension at the AFL Tribunal.

The club chose to challenge the suspension which was handed down by the AFL’s new match review officer Michael Christian for a high hit on West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern on Sunday which was judged as careless contact with medium impact to the head.

GRAY BAN: BUMP AT YOUR PERIL, MRP CHIEF WARNS

BOOM OR BUST: YOUR CLUB’S OPENING MONTH OF 2018

Christian claimed Gray “elected to bump rather than contesting the ball” in the incident which left McGovern concussed and after deliberating for just six minutes the tribunal jury agreed.

Gray’s player advocate, Mark Griffin, QC, had argued the incident was not a bump but a collision between two players and Gray had every ­intention of winning the ball until the final 0.3 seconds before impact when he saw McGovern out of the corner of his eye.

Appearing via video link from Adelaide, Gray said he was “going flat chat” but slowed upon seeing McGovern and braced to avoid “carnage”.

Robbie Gray lost his appeal at the tribunal. Picture: AAP

When cross-examined, the forward denied he had options to tackle McGovern or dramatically veer left and avoid the Eagle.

The Power also presented vision that included player tracking technology showing Gray had slowed from as much as 9m a second to 5m/s at the point of impact to “minimise” the damage.

However, AFL legal counsel Andrew Woods said there were “other things he could have done, albeit in a short space of time” and not judging the incident as a bump would create a “dangerous precedent” for the game.

Under new policies this year, the Power will be billed $10,000 in tribunal costs for the unsuccessful challenge.

Gray, who remains eligible to win this year’s Brownlow Medal, kicked 47 goals from 23 games last year while also ranking as the No.1 score assist player in the AFL.

Meanwhile, Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver accepted a $1500 sanction for misconduct against North Melbourne’s Ben Jacobs while Port Adelaide’s Paddy Ryder accepted a $2000 fine for striking West Coast’s Andrew Gaff.