Updated May 09, 2012 09:07:55
Fremantle defender Greg Broughton has been cleared by the AFL tribunal for alleged rough conduct against Gold Coast's David Swallow.
Broughton could have accepted a reprimand but chose to risk a one-match suspension by appealing the charge.
He had adopted the controversial ploy of sliding into a contest during the second quarter of last week's game at Carrara.
Broughton beat Suns midfielder Swallow to the ball and gained possession then turned his back as Swallow entered the contest.
Broughton's left knee collided with Swallow's left ankle, the AFL website reported.
Swallow limped off the field and later returned, and he faces a fitness test this week.
Broughton is now free to play against Port Adelaide at Subiaco on Sunday.
North Melbourne's Lindsay Thomas also beat a sliding charge two weeks ago despite Sydney's Gary Rohan breaking his leg in the incident.
Earlier, the VFL tribunal handed Geelong AFL premiership defender David Wojcinski a two-match ban for an incident which left 18-year-old Jack Viney with a broken jaw.
Wojcinski, 31, had already accepted a one-week ban for a separate charge of striking Casey's Viney.
However the sentence for a rough-conduct charge will be served concurrently with the striking ban, although this still means he will miss four weeks because of byes in the VFL fixture.
Wojcinski had elected to bump Viney in a last-quarter incident at Kardinia Park on Saturday, claiming a last-second change of direction by Viney meant Wojcinski had to brace himself for contact rather than lay a tackle.
The triple-premiership Cats defender had been chosen to play for Geelong's AFL side last weekend for his first senior game of the year and 200th career match, but had decided to give himself a fourth VFL game after an injury-interrupted pre-season.
Viney, who will be drafted by the Demons later this year, was playing his first VFL game for Melbourne's feeder team Casey.
A medical report from the Demons said Viney, son of ex-Melbourne captain Todd, would miss four weeks of football.
After a hearing that lasted over an hour plus a 25-minute deliberation by the three-man panel which included Brian Chaplin and ex-Hawk Nick Holland, VFL tribunal chairman Eddie Power found Wojcinski could have reasonably foreseen the results of his actions.
But Power added Wojcinski's clean record in his 14-year career up until last week's game had helped lower his sentence.
A shattered Wojcinski did not speak to waiting reporters after the hearing at Princes Park, but Geelong's AFL football manager Neil Balme said the Cats were not complaining about the outcome of the hearing.
"It was a very difficult position that the tribunal was in and they've handled it quite fairly," Balme said.
"David's quite upset with the whole thing. He's hoping Jack Viney is fine which I'm sure he will be.
"It is high stakes but we're happy with the way it was dealt with.
"He would certainly have played (AFL) this week if he was available. But he's had a terrific 14 years and it (his senior career) won't stop."
Wojcinski said in his evidence that he was planning to tackle but had to protect himself when Viney veered towards him.
"I thought he was going towards goal. There was nothing I could do," Wojcinski said.
"I didn't want to leave myself wide open to get cleaned up myself."
ABC/AAP
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australia First posted May 08, 2012 20:46:01
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