Essendon could also be compelled to tackle AFL heavyweights Geelong with out their two finest ruckmen as Andrew Phillips faces attainable suspension over a excessive bump on Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien.
Phillips will come underneath scrutiny after electing to bump O’Brien and catching his direct opponent excessive within the dying phases of the Bombers’ 18-point win on Sunday.
The end result arrange a monster fifth-versus-eighth conflict with the Cats at GMHBA Stadium subsequent spherical.
However a ban for Phillips, coupled with Sam Draper’s ongoing battle with a hip harm, may imply eight-game ruckman Nick Bryan is thrust into the Bombers’ ruck function.
Replays confirmed Phillips appeared to make contact together with his shoulder to O’Brien’s chin, although the Crows’ ruckman was not severely harm.
“We wish our ruckmen to shepherd and I haven’t checked out intimately on whether or not he acquired him excessive or not however the influence didn’t look enormous,” Bombers coach Brad Scott mentioned.
“We’ll let the MRO deal with that.”
On Sunday, GWS defender Nick Haynes was handed a one-match ban for a harmful sort out on Hawthorn’s Josh Ward.
Ward’s head appeared to bounce off the bottom after Haynes grabbed his left arm and dragged him right down to the turf.
The incident was assessed as careless conduct, medium influence and excessive contact, drawing a one-match suspension.
Except Haynes efficiently challenges the ban, he’ll miss Saturday’s crunch conflict with Adelaide.
Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper can escape with a $2000 high quality for a forceful front-on contact cost.
Gold Coast’s Charlie Ballard was fined $3000 for tripping Port’s Zak Butters, whereas Melbourne’s James Jordon obtained a $1000 hit to the hip pocket for careless contact with an umpire.
Richmond ruckman Toby Nankervis is dealing with a ban of no less than three weeks after being despatched straight to the tribunal for his excessive bump on Sydney’s Jake Lloyd.