Kangaroos defender Charlie Comben could be in hot water for a dangerous tackle laid against star Demons recruit Brody Mihocek on Friday, which left the Melbourne forward concussed.
The incident took place during the first quarter, with Comben chasing down Mihocek inside forward 50, and dumping the 33-year-old in the tackle, despite Mihocek losing possession of the Sherrin.
However, due to the unofficial nature of this week's pre-season trial games between clubs, the AFL's Match Review Officer will only look into incidents if they are directly referred by the opposition club or umpires.
As a result, should neither the on-field umpire nor Melbourne decide to refer the incident to the MRO, Comben will not be sanctioned for the action.
Charlie Comben could be in hot water for this dangerous tackle that concussed Brody Mihocek.
READ MORE 👉 https://t.co/NhE2DBMwvq pic.twitter.com/4er2AEB4Fo
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) February 20, 2026
A similar tackle laid by Mabior Chol on Geelong defender Tom Stewart in last year's preliminary final initially saw the Hawks forward handed a three-game suspension, with the MRO grading the incident as having careless conduct, high contact and severe impact. However, it was ultimately overturned at the Tribunal.
The concussion rules Mihocek out of Melbourne's official pre-season match with Richmond next week, and places him in some doubt to return for the Demons' Round 1 clash against St Kilda.
The former Magpie had impressed in his new colours in the first quarter, slotting two goals prior to the head knock.
Comben had another good year in defence for North Melbourne in 2025, being one of the league's leading interceptors (3.0 intercept marks per game) and was a leading spoiler for the Roos (5.4 per game), highlighting his improving aerial capabilities.
A potential suspension would be a devastating setback for North Melbourne, who struggled to begin 2026 positively on Friday, with the Dees thumping the Roos by 80 points (129-49).
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