THERE are two significant factors in Nat Fyfe's rough conduct report that should see the charge thrown out by the Match Review Panel when it convenes at AFL House on Monday.
Fyfe was reported for making "forceful front-on contact" to North Melbourne's Ben Jacobs late in the third quarter of the Dockers' loss to the Kangaroos on Sunday.
The first factor in Fyfe's favour is the point of impact.
Fyfe appears to collect Jacobs in the shoulder – with any contact to the head minimal – when he slides in to win the ball.
While most players are found guilty based on the slow-motion footage routinely used by the MRP, Fyfe should be saved by the frame-by-frame evidence.
The second factor is impact.
Jacobs suffers no ill effects from the collision and there is no case for the MRP to even grade the impact as low.
By definition, Fyfe has to have been found to have made "forceful contact to an opponent from front-on when that opponent has his head over the ball" to be found to have committed this reportable offence.
If the MRP does deem the star midfielder has made contact with enough force, there is still enough doubt about where contact was made to allow it to throw this case out.
Should the MRP deem Fyfe has made contact with enough force and it is deemed to be high contact, there will be no escaping a charge because Fyfe did have reasonable alternative ways to contest the ball and the force was caused by circumstances within his control.
When considering the merits of suspending Fyfe for a third minor offence within a season, it is worth considering he would have been ineligible for this year's Brownlow Medal already under the previous MRP guidelines, which included carryover points.
The revamped MRP has given the star midfielder two chances, but he shouldn't need a third.
He has flown close to the sun, but this case should be thrown out by the MRP.
