Fremantle will take their concerns about the third man up in a ruck contest to the AFL after star ruckman Aaron Sandilands accepted a one-match suspension, ruling him out of the round-one clash with the Western Bulldogs.
Sandilands would have been slugged with a two-match sanction had he been unsuccessful in challenging the charge of engaging in rough conduct against Richmond's Ben Griffiths in last week's NAB Challenge clash at Mandurah.
The 211cm Sandilands caught Griffiths in the head with his shoulder, forcing the groggy Tiger from the field and leaving him in doubt for Saturday's pre-season clash against Hawthorn.
All suspensions incurred during the pre-season competition are served in the AFL regular season.
Fremantle's general manager of football operations Chris Bond said the club had taken "a long and considered decision" in choosing to accept an early guilty plea.
"After seeking advice from our legal team on the match review panel's decision it became apparent that any challenge was a high-risk strategy that would more than likely see Aaron suspended for two weeks as opposed to one after an early plea," said Bond.
"Having said that, we also believe there are currently a number of grey areas in the rule that saw Aaron charged with rough conduct, which we will be seeking clarification on from the AFL.
"We also have concerns about the third-man up situation which we also plan to raise with the AFL."
Sandilands - who edged out Brownlow medallist Nathan Fyfe to win his second club best and fairest last year - will be eligible to return for the Dockers' round-two home clash against Gold Coast on April 2.
Share
