A devastated Katie Brennan is set to miss the AFLW grand final with the Western Bulldogs skipper's suspension upheld by the tribunal.
The four-member jury on Tuesday night found Brennan guilty of rough conduct over her sling tackle on Harriet Cordner during the Dogs' tense final-round win against Melbourne.
Her suspension has been increased to two games, including Saturday's decider against Brisbane at Princes Park in Melbourne.
The Bulldogs will now weigh up whether to mount a further challenge before the AFL Appeals Board on Thursday evening.
Brennan, who did not take questions from waiting media, was in tears as she made a brief statement after the hearing.
"I'm gutted with the decision but I'll support the club in whatever they choose to do going forward," she said.
"We've proved that the girls don't need myself out on the field to win games and I'll back them 100 per cent and also be able to play a really important role on gameday."
Cordner was shaken but able to play out the game after she was awarded a free kick, with the tackle classified as low impact, high contact and careless conduct.
Brennan's advocate Sam Norton did not dispute those elements but argued the Bulldogs forward's actions weren't unreasonable under the high-pressure circumstances.
AFL legal counsel Andrew Woods argued that Brennan had used excessive force in bringing Cordner to the ground.
The jury found Brennan guilty after 22 minutes of deliberation.
Norton subsequently tried to have Brennan's penalty reduced on the basis of exceptional and compelling circumstances.
"Her role in the establishment of this league should not be underestimated," Norton said.
"It's submitted, in effect, that she is a trailblazer."
Norton said it would be a "cruel blow" for the Bulldogs to again face a grand final without their captain, referring to Bob Murphy's injury-enforced absence in their 2016 premiership triumph.
But tribunal chair Ross Howie described this argument as irrelevant, and the jury ruled in favour of upholding the two-week ban.
The offence would have drawn a reprimand on its own, but it was Brennan's second classifiable offence of the season, which increased the penalty.
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