Collingwood will appeal Billy Frampton's three-match suspension at the AFL Tribunal tonight.
The Pies defender was hit with the ban following a dramatic moment during the King's birthday match, where Frampton's tackle left Melbourne's Brody Mihocek with a fractured neck.
The incident was graded as careless contact with severe impact and high contact. Frampton, who previously played alongside Mihocek in the 2023 premiership, was shaken by the incident, quickly signalling the umpires while remaining by Mihocek's side.
Play was then held for 10 minutes while Mihocek was assessed and removed from the ground via stretcher before being taken directly to hospital in an ambulance. He has since undergone surgery and is expected to be out for at least the rest of the season.
AFL football boss Greg Swann explained the decision behind Frampton's suspension.
“There's no doubt Brody goes in with his head down, he slipped, and the initial part of the tackle is fine. It's probably just at the end there, the driving, and we always come back to that duty of care," he said on AFL360.
“We could have referred it straight to the tribunal and let them decide, but we don't think that's our job. Our job is to design a penalty, and then the clubs themselves can make an assessment on whether they want to appeal that."
Collingwood is expected to argue the ban, based on the fact that, despite the devastating result, Frampton executed the tackle safely.
If the Pies lose the appeal, Frampton will miss upcoming games against Port Adelaide, Richmond and Gold Coast.
