Patrick Dangerfield has been ruled out of Brownlow contention after accepting his ban.
Camera IconPatrick Dangerfield has been ruled out of Brownlow contention after accepting his ban. Credit: PerthNow

Paddy whacked: Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield accepts ban, loses Brownlow chance

Shayne HopePerthNow

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GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield is ineligible for this year’s Brownlow Medal after officially accepting a one-week suspension for rough conduct.

The Cats sought legal advice on the matter last night, but have this morning advised the AFL they would not appeal the match review panel’s decision.

Dangerfield was banned over a tackle that left Carlton ruckman Matthew Kreuzer concussed during las Saturday’s match at Etihad Stadium.

The midfielder pinned Kruezer’s arms and drove him into the ground in an incident that was classified as careless conduct with medium impact to the head.

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Dangerfield would have risked a two-week suspension if he had challenged.

He will miss the second-placed Cats’clash with in-form Sydney (sixth) at Simonds Stadium on Friday night.

The week off will help Dangerfield overcome ankle soreness, which has troubled him in recent weeks, for the build-up to the finals.

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“It’s about moving forward. For us, it’s about winning Friday night," Dangerfield said after the announcement Geelong would not challenge.

"No one likes missing games of footy. I certainly don’t. But we’ve got a greater goal that’s bigger than myself... we’ve got a clear vision for what we want to achieve.

“You weigh up a whole myriad of different things and that comes into your calculations, but at the end of the day it’s a decision that’s based on what’s best for us as a group and as a club. Now really, it’s about moving forward and focusing on this week."

Dangerfield would not buy into the raging debate over whether Brownlow eligibility rules should be changed.

“I haven’t really given any thought to it. It’s not relevant to what we want to achieve this year," he aid.

"And that’s not disrespecting the award, it’s just being pragmatic on what we’re really focused on."

Geelong’s general manager of football, Steve Hocking, said the club reached the decision after receiving independent advice.

“The club reviewed all possibilities around the case in coming to this decision. We respect the fact that the match review panel has a challenging and difficult role and has to operate under high scrutiny.

“While there has been a lot of debate around Pat’s eligibility for the Brownlow Medal, Pat and the club have at all times remained focussed on what is best for the team as we head towards to last part of the season.”

Match review panel member Jimmy Bartel this morning said Dangerfield’s action was “careless”.

Bartel, who won the Brownlow in 2007, was not one of the three members who sat in on the Dangerfield decision.

“That was probably the discussion the MRP had yesterday; was it a careless act and unreasonable?” Bartel told RSN927 this morning.

“As soon as they decided, well, maybe Danger had a duty of care and could have done a little bit better, then it comes onto the table.

“I think we all agreed, it wasn't intentional. It was a careless act.”

The TAB installed Richmond star Dustin Martin as an almost unbackable $1.20 favourite on the back of Dangerfield’s initial charge.

Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell ($5.50) is on the second line of betting, with Essendon’s Zach Merrett ($13) rated the only other serious challenger.

Martin is walking a Brownlow tightrope.

He has had two fines for classifiable offences this season and faces an automatic one-match ban, ruling him ineligible for the medal, if he transgresses again during the final four rounds of the home-and-away season.