Port Adelaide and forward Junior Rioli' have managed to lower the Match Review Officer's three-game striking charge to two games, lowering the level of impact of the decision from severe to high at the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night.

The strike in question left Ridley with a concussion and now facing a period on the sidelines, with the diagnosis of the head trauma likely to have been factored into the MRO's assessment of the incident.

With the charge of striking, the MRO viewed Rioli's actions as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, resulting in a minimum three-match suspension and a referral to the AFL Tribunal.

Read the feed of the Tribunal hearing below.

Rioli striking charge reduced to two games

Verdict: The AFL Tribunal have reduced the impact grading to high, meaning Rioli's suspension has been lowered to two games instead of three. He will miss upcoming games against North Melbourne and Melbourne, with a return scheduled against Richmond in Round 11.

Summary: 

"Junior Rioli made contact to the head of Jordan Ridley with the hand or the lower part of his arm. As a result, Ridley suffered a concussion, played no further part in the game and will not play the next game.

"The first question is whether the act constituted a strike. We find that it did. Although it is clear that Rioli intended to shepherd or block Ridley, and had no intention to strike, the consequence of him jumping and rotating with an extended arm was that he delivered a blow with his hand or arm.

"On one view he was unfortunate to have made that contact, but moving his trailing arm in the way he did and without looking at where it might land, despite knowing Ridley was passing immediately behind him, meant that he was careless as to whether he committed a strike.

"As to impact while the vision of the incident is not perfectly clear. We are satisfied that there was not overly significant force in the blow. It appears to be more glancing than direct in nature. Ridley suffered a concussion, but as a result of the glancing nature of the action, we are satisfied that there was no meaningful potential for other or more serious injury.

"Given that we must take into account not only the injury but also the force, we are not satisfied the impact was severe. We classify it as high. We impose a two-match sanction."

- Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson

5:35: The Jury is now deliberating

5:24: The AFL is not arguing for any more than three matches in its submission.

5:17: Hannon has shown multiple angles of the point of contact, which are unable to distinguish if Rioli's hand or wrist make contact with Ridley's head. Ehrlich argued it was an open hand that made contact, while Hannon suggests it is unclear whether an open or closed hand made contact with Ridley if the hand did at all make contact.

5:12: Hannon on the van Rooyen example: It is an entirely different incident. It was a spoil and didn't result in a concussion. The actual injury suffered by Ridley is a factor that distinguishes the two.

5:11: Hannon: It's a matter of good fortune here that nothing more serious occurred

5:08: Arguing the level of impact should read as severe, Hannon notes the league's guidelines state "the nature and extent of injury may be a relevant factor in determining the impact."

5:05: AFL Counsel Lisa Hannon: "What undoubtedly started as an intention to shepherd, bock or bump resulted in a strike within its commonly understood meaning.

"A blow with some force mid-jump while Rioli was in the air and turning."

4:53: Ehrlich: "In my respectful submission most of the force comes from Mr. Ridley. 

"...In my respectful submission, the level of impact is below severe. Concussion can occur without severe impact." 

4:51: A severe impact grading example is now being shown, with Scott Lycett's 2021 tackle on Ned McHenry used. Ehrlich suggests the level of impact isn't comparable to Rioli's, which is seen to be of a lower level of impact.

4:43: Footage of this week's van Rooyen and Ballard incident is now being used as an argument. Ehrlich: "When you look at that video and compare it to that of Mr Rioli's, that level of impact wasn't any more forceful than that example. It's not as high and not more forceful to warrant a severe grading."

4:37: Continuing to argue the level of impact of the blow, Ehrlich (Port Adelaide) is using an incident from last year between Marion Pickett and Brandon Starcevich (medium impact).

Followed by vision of a dangerous tackle from Jordan De Goey on Patrick Dangerfield (also medium impact).

Third example of medium impact was Sam Frost's bump on Brandon Ellis. Now onto high impact examples, with the prior shown incident between Hartigan and Walsh called upon.

Ehrlich: Impact from that example is "much higher" than that of Rioli's.

4:35: Ehrlich: It seems to be a glancing blow. Ridley is seen holding his head near his temple afterwards. The concussion is contributed to by the area of the head the force is made to.

4:30: Ehrlich: Ridley is off-balance after being pushed off by Finlayson. Ridley then runs into Rioli's arm. The arm doesn't swing back in a striking action. The arm is up, but that doesn't determine that it is a striking action.

4:23: Chair Jeff Gleeson to Ehrlich: The actions of a block are clear, but the matter surrounds the execution of Rioli's actions.

4:19: Footage of a 2022 incident between Hawthorn's Kyle Hartigan and Carlton's Sam Walsh is being shown, where Hartigan strikes Walsh.

Vision of this year's Anthony Caminiti/Nathan Murphy incident follows.

4:11 Port Adelaide counsel Paul Ehrlich: "What Mr Rioli was doing was engaging in a blocking/shepherding movement to allow Jeremy Finlayson to make an unopposed lead. There's eye contact between Finlayson and Rioli in that matter.

"... The fact there is a concussion does not mean the impact was severe.

"... The fact that there is contact doesn't necessarily mean that there's been a strike."

4:08: Medical report confirms Ridley suffered a concussion and was unable to return to play. Ongoing treatment and investigation is required on Ridley's health. Ridley is expected to miss three training days and one match.

4:01pm: Rioli pleads not guilty to striking Ridley. If found guilty then Port Adelaide's position is that impact was medium or high, but not severe.