Fremantle’s Zac Dawson cleared by review panel ahead of 40th western derby

FREMANTLE gets a boost ahead of 40th western derby as defender Zac Dawson is cleared by the AFL match review panel.

AFL GRAND FINAL - Hawthorn Hawks v Fremantle Dockers, at the MCG. PICTURED- Fremantle's X=Zac Dawson after the match.

FREMANTLE has been handed a significant boost ahead of Saturday’s 40th western derby with defender Zac Dawson cleared from any case to answer by the AFL match review panel.

With Fremantle already missing All-Australian key defenders Luke McPharlin and Michael Johnson as they nurse knee injuries, the experienced Dawson was cleared of a clumsy hit into first-year Brisbane utility Lewis Taylor late into Saturday night’s clash with the Lions in Perth.

The often maligned Dawson, 28, is pivotal in Fremantle’s plans to limit potential goal-scoring influence from top Eagles forwards Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and exciting newcomer Jeremy McGovern.

Dawson crashed heavily into Taylor in a marking contest deep into Fremantle’s clinical 83-point destruction of the struggling Lions and was left with an anxious wait until Monday’s findings from the match review panel were released from league headquarters in Melbourne.

Dawson already has 97.5 carryover points dangling over his head from a suspension earlier this season.

Virtually any citing from the review panel from Saturday’s incident would have sidelined the dour full-back even with early guilty pleas.

Dawson’s incident was cleared without even further explanation from the panel officials.

Dawson being cleared though will probably keep popular veteran utility big man Kepler Bradley out of an emotional AFL return.

Bradley, 28, has not played with the Dockers since Round 5 in late April last year when he suffered a dreaded ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and required a full reconstruction.

In a deepening crisis to the Dockers big defenders the all-rounder has been a top performer at centre-half-back in recent weeks with affiliate club Peel Thunder since his comeback almost two months ago.

Originally published as Fremantle’s Zac Dawson cleared by review panel ahead of 40th western derby