CASEY Demons defender Dion Johnstone is set to miss Sunday's VFL Grand Final against Box Hill at Etihad Stadium after he received a one-game ban for striking.
Johnstone, who is yet to make his AFL debut for the Demons, was charged with striking Essendon VFL player Nino Lazzaro in Saturday's preliminary final between Casey and the Bombers.
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Johnstone swung his right arm into the Essendon player in what appeared to be an attempt to dislodge the ball.
However, the contact was assessed as careless conduct with medium impact and high contact as Johnstone's arm struck Lazzaro in the face.
The incident was initially classified as a two-match base sanction, with an early guilty plea enabling the 20-year-old to accept a one-match suspension.
Melbourne's emergencies for the AFL preliminary final against West Coast will fly back from Perth on Saturday after the team sheets are handed in to ensure they are available for the VFL decider at 3.20pm.
