NORTH Melbourne's Brent Harvey will head to the Tribunal in a bid to play in Friday night's preliminary final after he was hit with a one-match ban by the Match Review Panel for his hit on Geelong skipper Joel Selwood.

The veteran was charged with a level one rough conduct offence against Geelong skipper Joel Selwood in the Roos' semi-final win last Friday night. 

The incident was assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points). A total of four activation points draws 125 demerit points and a one-match ban. 

But the 383-gamer's bad record means he cannot accept a discounted early plea for the bump, which left Selwood with a cut above his right eye. 


The incident came in Harvey's first game back from a three-game suspension for misconduct late in the home and away season that forced him to miss the club's elimination final against Essendon. 

His bad record added a 10 per cent loading, making the penalty 137.5 demerit points and a one-match sanction. But Harvey also has 41 demerit points carried over from within the last 12 months, which increases the overall penalty to 178.5 points.

An early plea would reduce the sanction by 25 per cent to 133.88 points, which would remain at a one-week suspension. 

Even if the club fails in a bid to overturn the decision at the AFL Tribunal, Harvey is not risking missing any extra matches. 


Speaking just before the MRP announced its verdict, North Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow said the club was not frustrated that Harvey had put himself at risk of another suspension.  

"I think it was just a bit of bad luck, so hopefully the Match Review (Panel) see it that way," Swallow said. 

"But you can never judge what they're going to do. (We'll) leave it up them and we'll wait and see what happens."

In other incidents, Fremantle defender Zac Dawson was cleared of a match-day report for striking Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray. The MRP said his high contact was with his upper arm and part of a legitimate spoiling action. 
TRIBUNAL CHALLENGES IN 2014*
 
Nat Fyfe (unsuccessful)
Round 21
Fyfe's challenge to a two-week ban for striking was unsuccessful. The Fremantle midfielder failed to have the charge downgraded at the Tribunal and again at the AFL's Appeals Board.
 
Steve Johnson (successful)
Round 19
The Geelong star was offered a one-week ban by the MRP for kneeing but challenged it at the Tribunal and was let off after North Melbourne's Scott Thompson gave key evidence.
 
Drew Petrie (successful)
Round 16
Petrie was booked by the MRP for making unnecessary and unreasonable contact to Hawthorn defender Brian Lake's face. Petrie was offered the chance to accept a penalty of 93.75 carryover points with an early guilty plea. But he asked the jury find he acted in self-defence, and the MRP gave him a reprimand with no carryover points.
 
Jay Schulz (unsuccessful)
Round 11
After being charged with a level one striking offence (80 points), Schulz wasn't risking a suspension when he challenged at the Tribunal. Despite hoping to clear the carryover points, the Tribunal upheld the MRP's verdict.
 
Brett Deledio (successful)
Round seven 
Deledio was able to have his one-week ban for striking reduced to a reprimand at the Tribunal. He was originally charged by the MRP with a striking offence, graded as intentional conduct. The Tribunal reduced the charge to reckless conduct, which resulted in Deledio's ban being a reprimand.
 
Steven May (successful)
Round three
The Gold Coast defender challenged his one-game ban for rough conduct and was successful. May convinced the Tribunal he had not made contact to opponent Dayne Zorko's head or neck. 
 
Devon Smith (unsuccessful)
Round three
The first Tribunal case of 2014 saw Smith's striking charge upheld after an application from GWS to call Demons midfielder Bernie Vince to give evidence was denied. The offence was assessed as intentional conduct, low impact and body contact. 

*Does not include cases sent directly to the AFL Tribunal.

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