Brisbane's Cameron has one-game suspension thrown out

Brisbane Lions livewire Charlie Cameron has been let off with a fine for a dumping tackle. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Brisbane star Charlie Cameron is free to face Geelong on Saturday after the AFL Tribunal used its discretion to turn his one-game suspension into a fine.

Cameron challenged the ban he initially received for a dumping tackle on Melbourne’s Jake Lever in Brisbane’s upset victory at the MCG.

On Tuesday night the tribunal dismissed his argument that the impact of the incident should have been graded as "low’' rather than "medium''.

But the tribunal - led by chairman Jeff Gleeson - found exceptional and compelling circumstances to use its discretion to turn the ban into a fine, citing Cameron’s clean record throughout his 207-game career.

The verdict leaves Cameron free to face the Cats at the Gabba, where he will get to continue his streak of 123 consecutive games.

Gleeson said the incident was careless but at the lower end of seriousness, and noted Cameron had to complete the tackle in a rotating manner to avoid Lever - who is 20kg heavier than him - crushing him due to momentum.

Character references from Adelaide and Carlton champion Eddie Betts and an Indigenous elder also helped sway the tribunal, but they were most taken by his previous disciplinary record.

The tribunal also noted that Lever was uninjured in the incident.

“His 207 games suspension-free puts him in a very small minority … only 668 players of the 13,125 who have played the game at the elite level have played 200 games,” Gleeson said.

“Almost half of those have been suspended for one match or more. Mr Cameron is clearly in the unusual category in this regard.” 

Brisbane sought to have the impact grading lessened from medium to low, which would let Cameron escape with a fine, despite his guilty plea.

Cameron argued Lever's momentum caused him to “lose control of the tackle”, but said he had added no extra force, while noting the Demon defender had an arm free to break his fall.

He pointed out that Lever threw his head up after it hit the ground, but said he was looking at the umpire for a free kick and it wasn’t the force of the tackle that had caused his head to bounce.

Tribunal counsel Sally Flynn said it was the potential to cause injury that warranted the medium grading, labelling the tackle “inherently dangerous”.

Lever's “vulnerable” position, the angle and rotation of the tackle and the extent of the force were relied on to argue for medium impact.

Cameron looked back to his best as he slotted three goals in the Lions' win against the Demons.

The Lions will now have the goalsneak's services for Saturday night's blockbuster with Geelong, when Brisbane will look to build on a two-game winning streak.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store