Brown was booked for allegedly charging Hawks captain and midfielder Sam Mitchell in the second quarter. The AFL Match Review Panel dropped the matter with the following official explanation:
“The match-day report against the Brisbane Lions' Jonathan Brown for charging Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell was assessed. The panel deemed that contact was unavoidable as Brown was endeavouring to get to the contest. At the last moment, Brown realised contact would be late so he pulled up, turned his body and placed an open hand on Mitchell's back to lessen the impact and to try to avoid significant contact. No further action was required.”
This clears Brown to take on the winless Melbourne side in the Lions’ first Sunday afternoon clash for the season during the AFL’s ANZAC Round. It is also the team’s last home game at the Gabba for almost a month. The Lions play their next two matches in Victoria against Geelong then Carlton with a rest in-between for the AFL’s first bye week, before returning to the Gabba on Sunday 25 May for their clash against St Kilda.
In related news, Melbourne’s Matthew Whelan has been charged with a Level Three striking offence against Carlton’s Brendan Fevola during the third quarter of their Round Five match at the MCG last Sunday.
In summary, his two-match sanction can be reduced to one match with an early plea. The incident was assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points). This is a total of six activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Three offence, drawing 225 demerit points and a two-match sanction.
Melbourne will also apply to the AFL to place captain David Neitz on the long-term injury list following an aggravation of a neck condition from last weekend’s game. Neitz was forced from the ground early in the second quarter against Carlton on Sunday.
Melbourne’s Football Operations Manager Ross Monaghan said, “David has a problem with the right side of his neck which on Sunday produced referred nerve pain to his shoulder.
