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Geelong have confirmed they will not challenge Patrick Dangerfield’s one-game AFL ban, meaning he is ineligible for this year’s Brownlow Medal.
Under Brownlow protocol, Dangerfield will present the medal to this year’s winner at the official count.
But there will be a tribunal hearing on Tuesday night, with Hawthorn veteran Luke Hodge to challenge his striking charge.
The Geelong star would have risked a two-game ban had he challenged his rough conduct charge at the tribunal and lost.
That is not the case for Hodge, who was offered a one-match ban for striking Sydney’s Tom Papley.
If Hodge fails at the tribunal hearing today (from 5.30pm AEST), his only extra penalty on top of the one-game suspension will be a $2500 fine.
Dangerfield, who won his first Brownlow last year, was the favourite to win the medal again.
His suspension means Richmond midfielder Dustin Martin is now the outright favourite.
The Cats sought legal advice before accepting Dangerfield’s ban.
“The club reviewed all possibilities around the case in coming to this decision,” Cats football manager Steve Hocking said in a statement.
“We respect the fact that the match review panel has a challenging and difficult role and has to operate under high scrutiny.
“While there has been a lot of debate around Pat’s eligibility for the Brownlow Medal, Pat and the club have at all times remained focussed on what is best for the team as we head towards the last part of the season.”
No player has won back-to-back Brownlows since St Kilda star Robert Harvey in 1997-98.
Dangerfield will miss Friday night’s big match at Simonds Stadium, which pits the second-placed Cats against resurgent Sydney, who are sixth.
Had the Cats taken the case to the tribunal and lost, the likelihood is that Dangerfield would have received a two-match suspension.
That would also have put him out of action for the round-21 home game against Richmond, who are fourth.
If Dangerfield polls the most votes in this year’s Brownlow count, he will become the fourth player to miss out on the medal because of suspension.
North Melbourne ruck-forward Corey McKernan would have shared the award in 1996 with James Hird and Michael Voss, but missed out because of suspension.
The following year, Western Bulldogs key forward Chris Grant polled one more vote than Harvey, but missed out because of a controversial striking suspension.
And Essendon captain Jobe Watson won the medal outright in 2012, only for the AFL to strip him of the Brownlow four years later because of his doping ban.
Sam Mitchell, who played for Hawthorn in 2012, and Richmond captain Trent Cotchin were awarded retrospective Brownlows last November after finishing four votes behind Watson in the count.
Also on Tuesday, Sydney star Lance Franklin accepted his $1500 fine for making contact with Hodge’s face.
And Collingwood onballer Taylor Adams has taken a $1000 fine for rough conduct.
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