COLLINGWOOD'S Brayden Maynard will face the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday as he aims to clear his name to play in a preliminary final and possibly a Grand Final.

Maynard was sent straight to the Tribunal for an incident in Thursday's qualifying final that left Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw with a concussion.

With Maynard's season and possibly a premiership medal on the line, we look back at other significant Tribunal cases that have dominated the headlines during finals. 

1) Andrew Gaff, 2018

The case of Andrew Gaff technically came in August and not September, but it nonetheless cost the West Coast winger a premiership medal. Gaff copped an eight-week ban for a horror punch to the face of Fremantle's Andrew Brayshaw, the equal-longest suspension imposed this century, which left the Dockers youngster with a broken jaw and three dislodged teeth. In what was labelled an "historically significant event" by AFL legal counsel Jeff Gleeson QC, the eight-week ban meant Gaff’s season was over. And the massive punishment became even bigger when the Eagles won the flag seven weeks later with Gaff watching on from the stands.  

2) Barry Hall, 2005

By his own admission, the image of Barry Hall holding aloft the premiership cup after the 2005 Grand Final should never have happened. Hall was suspended after Sydney's preliminary final win for striking St Kilda's Matt Maguire, but his legal team – somehow – argued Hall's action was in play despite it being 30 metres off the ball. In probably the most famous Tribunal case this century, Hall was cleared to play in the Grand Final against West Coast and he guided the Swans to their first premiership in 72 years. Years after a bizarre week, which included the unlikely figure of Cardinal George Pell celebrating Hall being freed and describing the hit as "a playful little nudge", Hall admitted he shouldn't have got off.

3) Anthony Rocca, 2003

After a two-hour hearing on the Tuesday of Grand Final week, Collingwood star Anthony Rocca copped a two-week ban for a strike on Port Adelaide ruckman Brendon Lade, ruling him out of the Grand Final against Brisbane. Two nights later, Rocca had tears in his eyes during the appeal, which also failed, and included character evidence from Peter Schwab and Neville Crowe, who both missed Grand Finals due to suspension during their careers (see below).

4) Jason Cloke, 2002

Collingwood defender Jason Cloke broke down in tears when he was handed a two-game ban at the Tribunal just days before the 2002 Grand Final. Cloke was reported for striking Adelaide's Tyson Edwards in the preliminary final and, despite character references from coach Mick Malthouse and Cloke's father David, he was rubbed out for the decider against Brisbane. His appeal also failed, meaning one of only two games he missed for the season was the Grand Final.

5) Jason McCartney, 1999

Jason McCartney came oh-so-close to winning a flag during his career, but unfortunately retired without a premiership medal. Drafted to Collingwood the year after it won the 1990 flag, McCartney missed selection for Adelaide's 1997 Grand Final win before, having been traded to North Melbourne, he was part of the Roos’ losing 1998 decider against the Crows. A year later, with the Kangaroos holding a big lead in the final quarter of a preliminary final, McCartney struck Brisbane's Clark Keating with a late hit in a marking contest. He copped a two-week ban and missed North's Grand Final win over Carlton.

6) Andrew Dunkley, 1996

In a landmark case, Dunkley was banned for striking Essendon's James Hird on the Wednesday before he was due to play in the 1996 Grand Final against North Melbourne. But the Swans took the case to the Supreme Court and secured an injunction for it to be held over until the following week, with the judge ruling Dunkley would be denied natural justice if the case was rushed through earlier. The Swans defender was ultimately banned for three games the following season, but the saga took a toll as he played below his best in the decider and the Kangaroos stormed to victory. "It should have been the best week of my life. Instead, it was one of the worst," Dunkley later said.

7) Peter Schwab, 1989

Hawthorn champion Peter Schwab missed what is still regarded as the greatest Grand Final ever after copping a three-game ban for a head high tackle on Essendon's Andrew Manning in the semi-final. Already a three-time premiership player, Schwab had always been philosophical about the ban given his success as a player but concedes it hurt to watch his team win the flag from the sidelines. "You're obviously happy to see the guys win – which they did – but you don't feel part of it," he said. "Everyone says and does the right things, but it doesn't compensate for missing out."

8) Neville Crowe, 1967

This is the infamous 'phantom punch' which saw Richmond's Neville Crowe miss the Tigers' 1967 premiership win over Geelong. Crowe was banned for striking Carlton's John Nicholls in the second semi-final, even though it was clear from television footage that Nicholls milked the incident and barely - if any - contact was made. But with television evidence not part of Tribunal hearings at the time, Crowe was banned and missed the Grand Final. 

9) John Coleman, 1951

Most expected Essendon's goalkicking champion to be banned for two weeks on the eve of the 1951 finals, but the surprise four-week suspension ended Coleman's season just as the Bombers launched their tilt at a premiership. The image of a shocked and distraught Coleman leaving VFL headquarters on Spring St after the 12-minute Tribunal hearing is one of the most famous footy photos of the time. The Bombers reached the Grand Final but lost to Geelong, no doubt hampered by the absence of their champion forward.

10) Gordon Coventry, 1936

A Collingwood Legend, Coventry would have won a sixth premiership in 1936 had he not been reported for the first and only time in his career. The goalkicking giant copped an eight-week ban for striking Richmond's Joe Murdoch, with Coventry claiming he retaliated after Murdoch repeatedly punched the painful boils on his neck. Coventry's appeal failed and he missed the rest of the season much to the outrage of Pies fans, who reportedly gathered outside VFL headquarters on the night of the hearing.