WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson's four-match VFL ban for intentionally making contact with an umpire has been thrown out by the VFL Appeals Board on Thursday night.

Minson will now be free to play against Greater Western Sydney this Saturday after receiving a reprimand "in the most severe terms" and a $7,500 fine that has to be paid before Saturday.

Minson was handed a four-match ban by the VFL Tribunal on Tuesday night despite a recommendation from the umpire's advocate for a severe reprimand and financial sanction.

WATCH: Minson sent off for umpire contact

That ban would have effectively sidelined the 30-year-old for five weeks, given the upcoming VFL and AFL byes. 

But the Appeals Board of Ian Hill (chairman), Rick Lewis and Michael Tanner took just 12 minutes to overturn the Tribunal's decision, with Hill acknowledging that testimony from Minson and Bulldogs president Peter Gordon – both of whom did not give evidence on Tuesday night – had influenced their decision.

Minson was not available for comment after Thursday night's hearing but Gordon told reporters the ruckman's career would have been in doubt if the original penalty had stood.

"He's 30 years old and the game moves on quicker than any of us would like and he's really struggled to get back into the side," Gordon said.

"He's got his opportunity and who knows whether that opportunity would have been available in five weeks' time?

"I hope that he makes the most of it and I'm sure that he's determined to."

Gordon said Minson had been "quite chastened" by the past week's events.

"I think you get into a situation like this and it takes everybody by surprise and it causes a fair bit of deep reflection," the president said.

"I think he's been through a range of emotions this week but over and above all of those things, which are all important, I think he's pleased to be back playing AFL footy."

Minson was sent off with a red card in Sunday's match between Footscray and North Ballarat and reported, with his case sent straight to the Tribunal after he pushed umpire Thomas Chrystie in the back with his left arm.

Minson told the Appeals Board that after taking the ball directly from a boundary throw-in in the second quarter he kicked what he thought was a goal and started celebrating.

When umpire Chrystie signalled that the ball had been touched, Minson said he was "strongly of the opinion it wasn't touched" and tried to "engage in communication" with Chrystie.

Minson agreed with Chrystie's earlier evidence that he said to the umpire: "There's no way that was a goal. Are you f****** kidding me?"

Minson said when it became clear to him that Chrystie was not interested in talking with him: "I reached out with my hand as I often do when I'm communicating and I made contact with the umpire."

The ruckman described the contact as "very minimal", saying he had not been trying to physically stop Chrystie or push him.

"My only intention was to engage in conversation with umpire Chrystie," Minson said, denying that he had been angry at the time of contact.

Gordon spoke on Minson's behalf, advising the Appeals Board that the ruckman had been provisionally selected in the club's senior team for this Saturday's clash against Greater Western Sydney, having finally won a recall after spending five weeks in the VFL.

The ruckman's advocate, Sam Norton, asked the Appeals Board for leniency, noting that Minson had pleaded guilty and apologised to Chrystie on the ground and again before Tuesday night's Tribunal hearing. 

Norton said the Tribunal's four-match suspension had been "manifestly excessive" and "simply out of kilter" with Minson's offence, especially given the ruckman was nearing the end of his AFL career and trying to re-establish himself in the Bulldogs' senior team. 

Norton said a fine would be a more appropriate penalty, suggesting that $3000 – or the twice the VFL maximum penalty - would be a suitable amount.

The umpire's advocate pushed for a severe reprimand with "a substantial financial sanction", as she had done at Tuesday's hearing.

Chrystie earlier gave evidence that Minson had been "extremely intimidating" when questioning the decision that his snap on goal had been touched.

Christie said when he started to run towards the goal umpire to indicate that the ball had been touched, Minson made "low to moderate" contact with him.

"I felt contact as he pushed me in the back of shoulder," Chrystie said, adding that the contact had knocked him off balance as he was running. 

The umpire said if a push that would have knocked him to the ground was graded as a 10, Minson's push was a four or five.

The AFL has a fixed financial sanction of $1500 for careless contact to an umpire – down to $1000 with a guilty plea – but intentional contact is sent straight to the Tribunal.

On Wednesday, the AFL Players' Association slammed the VFL Tribunal's decision to suspend Minson, describing the penalty as "entirely disproportionate".

Port Adelaide midfielder Andrew Moore was suspended for three weeks earlier this season for making intentional contact to a SANFL umpire.

SANFL tribunal chairman Ian White said at the time the panel had to "take a stance" against Moore, with the Power's subsequent appeal unsuccessful.