North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri's three-match suspension has been upheld.
Xerri fronted the Tribunal on Tuesday evening after the club opted to challenge the three-match ban from the MRO, with the strike on Melbourne midfielder Tom Sparrow graded as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
The Kangaroos contested the careless grading of the charge, which attempted to eradicate the suspension.
Xerri gave evidence during the hearing, noting that it's his role to compete in the ruck and then follow up the contests with pressure and physicality.
Tristan Xerri has been handed a three-match suspension following this incident involving Tom Sparrow.
Full match review findings from Sunday: https://t.co/UstJcrlFha pic.twitter.com/EJJ2QhCRh6
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"That's my game and that's what I get paid to do," Xerri said.
"I work in a shoebox for a living. I'd go to 100 of these contests a game.
"I know I can't just go around swinging arms and hitting people intentionally. I know you've got to tackle with the duty of care now and the responsibility for other players.
"I felt like by hitting his body I would be able to cause enough pressure to create the spillage of the ball."
The Kangaroos also noted that Christian Salem pushes Jy Simpkin into Tom Sparrow's back, which contributes to his momentum.
The AFL's position was that they were seeking the base three-match ban.
League representative Andrew Woods attempted to negate the domino effect from Salem to Simpkin to Sparrow, saying there was still going to be a "strike of some kind".
The Tribunal stated that it was a "force blow" by Xerri and found that it was careless.
The Tribunal reiterated the AFL's position on whether Sparrow being pushed into Xerri made a difference to the outcome, suggesting that in any circumstance, he would've caught him high regardless.
The Tribunal's verdict means Xerri is unavailable for North Melbourne's upcoming clashes against Sydney, Geelong and St Kilda.
