RORY Sloane's Brownlow Medal chances hang by a thread on Monday as the Match Review Panel considers whether his strike to Brad Ebert in Saturday's Showdown was a legitimate spoiling attempt.
Sloane, who is among the top five chances to win this year's Brownlow Medal, landed in hot water when a spoil gone wrong left opponent Brad Ebert with a cut under his eye.
It is hard to dispute the incident would be graded as medium impact, given Ebert had to leave the ground for medical assistance and didn't return for some time. It was clearly high contact.
That leaves the MRP to consider Sloane's conduct when it sits at AFL House on Monday.
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The star midfielder leapt from a distance to spoil a marking attempt in the third quarter and arrived late, which goes against him.
He also missed the ball by a significant enough margin to cast some doubt over his intentions when the MRP deliberates over his conduct.
In the Crow's favour is the fact he attacked the contest with a straight arm, rather than a round-arm action.
The more dangerous round-arm action is a flashing red light for the MRP and often ends in a charge.
This is a line-ball case for the MRP and the stakes are significant, with the Crows preparing for a round-23 clash against West Coast and a likely home final two weeks later, given the pre-finals bye.
If Sloane is rubbed out this week, that final could end up being his only AFL match in a four-week period.