The 25-year-old St Kilda midfielder was stung $2600 for his contact with umpire Andrew Mitchell in the second quarter of last Wednesday's NAB Challenge clash with the Western Bulldogs at Simonds Stadium.
The experienced Saint made contact with Mitchell directly during a centre ball-up.
He had lined up behind Mitchell unopposed before the video footage showed Bulldogs' midfielder Matthew Boyd run in from the left and make contact with Armitage.
Armitage's player advocate Ian Hill QC argued Boyd had put Armitage off balance and moved him side on, which meant he faced away from Mitchell as the umpire backed out of the circle.
He argued there had been little if no contact between Armitage and Mitchell, and if there had been, it was not the fault of his client and instead caused by Boyd's contact.
However, legal counsel Jeff Gleeson SC said Armitage took a risk inlining up behind the umpire despite believing he had time to run out ofhis path before Boyd decided to approach.
Armitage said he didn't recall making contact with Mitchell and wouldhave turned around if he felt he had tripped the umpire over.
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The footage showed Armitage won the clearance and he said the result of the hearing would not affect his placement at the centre stoppage in the future.
"You've just got to be aware and I was ... If there was a tiny, little bit of contact made, which I didn't feel there was, I'll try and avoid that next time," Armitage told AFL.com.au afterwards.
"I won't change anything.
"I certainly was confident coming in but that's the way it goes.
"I hadn't even been made aware of it until the club came and said there was an incident, and then I looked at the tape and thought, if that's it then I'm definitely going to fight it."
The jury, consisting of Richard Loveridge, Wayne Schimmelbusch and David Neitz, found there was contact made between Armitage and Mitchell, and it was reckless contact that had "substantial and operative" cause.
They took just over 10 minutes to review the footage and install the full financial penalty on Armitage.
It was Armitage's first offence for making contact with an umpire. An early guilty plea would have reduced his penalty to $1950.
Twitter: @AFL_JenPhelan
