Gold Coast defender Steven May has been banned for three games, having failed to clear his name at the AFL tribunal.
May could have accepted a two-match ban with an early plea in response to his head-high bump on Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff.
Instead he challenged the rough-conduct charge and will now miss games against Adelaide, West Coast and Collingwood.
AFL legal counsel Jeff Gleeson QC successfully argued May could have picked up the ball instead of bumping Rockliff, who was knocked out in the contest.
Gleeson noted May was "unlucky", but urged the three-man jury to "forget that fact and apply the rules".
Wayne Henwood, Shane Wakelin and Richard Loveridge deliberated for 20 minutes but eventually agreed with Gleeson.
May testified there was nothing else he could do in the situation.
"Tom was running into an open goal ... I had to bump him out of the way," the 23-year-old said.
"I couldn't tackle, he didn't have the ball and it'd be a free kick.
"I couldn't dive on the ball, because that's a free kick.
"I was going for shoulder to shoulder and ... most of the body contact was to the ribs, shoulder."
The Suns may have to make seven changes for their upcoming clash with the Crows.
Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera have been dropped for breaking a club-imposed booze ban, while Jarrod Garlett, Seb Tape and Jack Martin are injured.
May was reported in the Suns' first win of the season, their 64-point thumping of the Lions.
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