West Coast's Liam Baker will miss the first game of the 2026 home and away season after unsuccessfully appealing his one-match suspension.
Baker was cited for rough conduct on Sydney's Chad Warner for an incident in the second quarter, with the incident graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
Arguing the contact was glancing and there was no potential to cause injury, the Eagles sought to downgrade the impact from medium to low, which would have resulted in a fine.
The AFL argued that Baker shaped his body to increase contact with Warner.
"Although the impact was not particularly significant, it was more than just a brush to Warner's hair," the Tribunal chair said.
"The vision shows that his head is knocked and therefore jolted by the impact.
"The matter of particular significance here is the potential to cause injury.
"Warner had his head low and over the ball - Baker came in from the side and executed a bump.
"Even a relatively modest impact to the head in those circumstances has the potential to cause a concussion, a neck injury.
"We do not accept that Baker took many or any sufficient steps to minimise the impact."
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