WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Luke Goetz has failed in his bid to overturn a misconduct charge at the Tribunal on Tuesday night, leaving the rookie with a $1500 fine.

Goetz took the uncommon step of challenging a fine after he was charged for pushing Melbourne defender Colin Garland over the fence during Sunday's NAB Challenge game in Craigieburn.

The 18-year-old rookie, who said the incident was his first real experience in an AFL game, could have accepted a $1000 fine from the Match Review Panel.      

Goetz, who was flanked on Tuesday by coach Luke Beveridge and football manager Graham Lowe, told the Tribunal the incident was a reflex action and not a push after Garland "diverted in front" of him.

He said he hadn't meant to make any forceful contact.

"I didn't intend to but when I saw him cut in front … I put my hands up to protect myself," he said.  

"When I was running it didn't register how close (the fence) actually was.

"It was just a matter of the momentum we both had."

Beveridge said the Bulldogs had pushed to challenge the fine because of alternative footage they believed clearly showed Goetz had flinched and pulled up when Garland cut in front of him.  

Umpire Scott Jeffery, who reported Goetz for rough conduct on the day, said his concern was the fact the players were over the boundary, forcing Garland to jump over the fence.  

"The ball was dead and the players would have been a metre or so over the line when that contact occurred," he told the Tribunal.

"I thought Goetz had a duty of care."