Fletcher was charged with intentionally tripping Western Bulldogs forward Barry Hall and while he pleaded guilty to the charge, he contested the assertion that the contact was intentional.
The Bombers veteran told the tribunal he believed the incident should instead be viewed as negligent.
Giving evidence, Fletcher said: “I thought I was close enough to lunge and tackle. I had my eyes on his trunk and I thought I would get my hands around him and lay a tackle. My only intention was to try and prevent a goal.”
But the tribunal found that Fletcher’s actions were intentional, leaving the 35-year-old with a penalty of 137.5 demerit points, and a one-game ban.
After the hearing, Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said Fletcher was very disappointed.
“We thought we had a reasonable case and we were quite confident actually going in there,” Hamilton said. ‘That’s not what the tribunal found and we have to live with that.
“Dustin gets to have a week off. He’s played every game so it gives him the opportunity to rest his body for a week.
“While we didn’t want that to happen, that’s the way it is.”
Hamilton said the Bombers would not appeal the tribunal’s decision.
