AFL 2024: All the latest MRO news as Dixon banned, but Butters slips out of MRO frypan

Port Adelaide spearhead Charlie Dixon has learned his fate after a high bump landed the Power forward a date with the SANFL tribunal. It comes after a fellow star was cleared.

Port Adelaide spearhead Charlie Dixon has failed to overturn his ban at the SANFL tribunal, and will miss the next three weeks of action.

The veteran key forward was hit with a three-week ban playing for Port Adelaide’s reserve side at the weekend, having laid a high bump.

The match review panel charged him with rough conduct, and deemed the hit as careless, high contact and severe impact.

His West Adelaide opponent Jordan White was concussed in the incident, forcing the MRP to grade it as severe.

However Dixon’s case for a downgraded sentence hinged on the severity, with Port Adelaide claiming it was a ‘high’ impact, rather than severe.

Power star Charlie Dixon will miss the next three weeks of action. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

But the SANFL confirmed the ban would remain at three weeks, with the Power unable to overturn the suspension

Dixon has come under much scrutiny this season for poor form in the AFL, having kicked just 13 goals in 10 games, and has been subbed out twice, managed twice and dropped once.

Youngster Ollie Lord made his return from a pre-season knee injury and was quiet against the Giants with just four touches before he was subbed out, but is likely the long-term replacement for Dixon, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

BUTTERS CLEAR IN POWER BOOST

Port Adelaide has received a major boost ahead of its crunch game against Brisbane, getting star Zak Butters cleared at the tribunal.

Butters had received a one-week suspension for striking GWS midfielder Tom Green, but on Tuesday night the Power successfully argued the contact was negligible.

The club’s appeal focused on Green’s reaction, believing it proved Port vice-captain’s hit had minimal force.

“He barely moves, he doesn’t ever go for his face, he’s not knocked off balance – that’s the quintessential definition of negligible,” the Power’s counsel said.

The match review officer had graded Butters’ strike as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.

To help its case, Port Adelaide referenced GWS forward Jesse Hogan having his striking charge from round 6 dismissed due to negligible impact.

Similarly to the Hogan incident, Butters said he first made contact with Green’s upper arm and did not intend to hit him in the face.

“It’s an action I do a lot in a game, pushing and trying to get away from opponents,” Butters said.

AFL counsel Sam Bird argued that the reigning AFL Coaches’ Association Player of the Year decided to strike Green, rather than simply made glancing contact from a few fingers.

“The impact is sufficient given the video evidence … (shows) there’s a strike to the side of the face, off the ball, in a circumstance when Green would not be expecting to be struck in that way,” Bird said.

Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said while the vision was not perfectly clear, it did not reveal anything more than Butters’ fingers making contact with Green’s face.

“Green’s head moves at about the moment of impact, but not significantly,” Gleeson said.

“He does not react in the manner one would expect if he had suffered a forceful blow to the face of more than negligible impact.

Zak Butters hits Giant Tom Green off the ball. Picture: Fox Footy

Will the Power star be suspended? Picture: Fox Footy

“He does not reach for his face, he gives no indication of any pain or discomfort, he suffered no injury and it does not appear any medical staff checked on him.

“We do not find this was low impact.”

Butters will be available to face Brisbane on Saturday as the Power looks to rebound from its 22-point loss to the Giants in Sydney and continue its push towards securing a finals berth.

Port sits seventh on a congested ladder with an 8-5 record.

Originally published as AFL 2024: All the latest MRO news as Dixon banned, but Butters slips out of MRO frypan