Port Adelaide star Dan Houston has seen his five-game suspension for rough conduct upheld at the AFL Appeal Board.
The Power took the AFL Tribunal's verdict of handing Houston the lengthy ban to the Appeal Board on Thursday night, having unsuccessfully pushed for a three-game suspension earlier in the week.
Houston was referred directly to the Tribunal by the AFL's Match Review Officer for his bump on Adelaide player Izak Rankine, with the MRO grading Houston's actions as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, with Rankine left with concussion as a result of the collision.
At Thursday's Appeal Board hearing, the Power contended the Tribunal's verdict on the grounds that there was an error of law that had a material impact on the decision of the Tribunal, and that there was a denial of procedural fairness.
The Power's case was built around the contact Houston made on Rankine's shoulder/neck area, and that there was some uncertainty around the exact point of forceful contact, with the level of punishment handed down by the AFL to Houston deemed excessive by the Power's Counsel.
The Power argued that the AFL did not state that Houston breached a duty of care by electing to bump Rankine during the Tribunal.
The AFL, represented by Counsel Lisa Hannon, noted Houston had pled guilty to the charge at the Tribunal, and that St Kilda player Jimmy Webster received a seven-game ban earlier this year - meaning Houston's punishment was not excessive in the circumstances.
The Appeal Board's decision will mean Houston is unavailable to play again this year and could even miss the start of the 2025 season depending on the success of the Power's finals campaign.
