Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes has been rubbed out for one match after a passionate plea for leniency because of his good playing record failed to sway the AFL tribunal to reduce his penalty.
Cornes contested his level-two charge of rough conduct on Tuesday night and gave evidence he had bumped Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell in the back during the third quarter of Saturday's game at AAMI Stadium.
The 260-game veteran, who had never been reported previously at AFL level, said his intention was to impede Mitchell's progress and prevent him from moving to the next contest.
Midfielder tagger Cornes clashed with Mitchell about eight metres off the ball and a free-kick was paid against Cornes for contact to the back.
Cornes said only minimal contact was made in what was just a standard bump.
A three-member jury chaired by Wayne Schimmelbusch deliberated for only four minutes before announcing Cornes had been found guilty of the offence.
He had sought a reduction from 168.75 points to under 100 points.
The 30-year-old Port star's player advocate Mark Griffin QC argued the level-two charge should have been a level-one grading and also that Cornes' fine playing record should afford him a lighter penalty under the clause of exceptional and compelling circumstances.
However the tribunal need only seven more minutes to find the penalty should stand which means Cornes will miss Saturday night's important clash between eighth-placed Port and 16th-placed St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
Cornes denied Mitchell could not have reasonably expected contact.
"He could see me coming and that's why he disposed of the ball, then he took two steps back," Cornes said via a video link.
"He would have known exactly where I was and he would have known I was coming towards him. I was really surprised he went to ground."
Cornes said he was aware there were two umpires nearby and he had no intention of doing something reportable.
"My reputation's really important to me," the two-time All-Australian and club games record-holder said.
"I'd consider myself an extremely fair player."
Cornes said while Mitchell stayed down for 20 seconds, he was contesting for the ball shortly afterwards. A Hawthorn medical report said Mitchell suffered no injury.
"Whether he was making more of the contact, whether he was trying to milk a 50-metre penalty, you'd have to ask Sam," Cornes said.
Cornes had been hoping to reduce his penalty because of his unblemished 13-year career. Western Bulldogs veteran Rohan Smith used the same clause to have a three-match ban dropped to one game in 2005 because of his clean record.
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