GWS's Toby Bedford has joined Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron in failing to overturn a three-game ban at the AFL Tribunal for tackling.
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In the second of three cases on Tuesday night, Bedford was unsuccessful in his bid to downgrade a rough conduct charge on Richmond star Tim Taranto during Sunday's game at the MCG.
The Giants argued it was not a reportable offence, but AFL Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson returned with a disappointing verdict for Bedford after deliberating for about 30 minutes.
"A reasonable player in Bedford's circumstances would have realised that by leaping at Taranto in the way that he did from behind was likely to drive him into the ground," Gleeson said.
Bedford thought he "executed the perfect tackle".
"Even if I let go, I don't think it would've made much of a difference. I don't think I had enough time to do that," the Giants utility told the Tribunal.
The AFL's lawyer Lisa Hannon believed Bedford should have kept his feet and stayed more upright in the tackle.
GWS's legal representative Anais d'Arville was scathing of the AFL's arguments.
"Bedford was faced with the choice of tackling in the manner he did or not tackling at all," d'Arville said.
Bedford will miss matches against Gold Coast, Melbourne and Hawthorn.
Earlier, the Tribunal deliberated for 45 minutes before chair Renee Enbom upheld Cameron's three-game ban for tackling West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan.
"Contrary to Cameron's evidence, we consider the vision clearly captures Cameron taking Duggan to ground forcefully," she said.
"It is the combination of the excessive force used in driving Duggan backwards with both of his arms pinned that makes the tackle unreasonable in the circumstances.
"Those two features put Duggan in a highly vulnerable position."
Duggan hit the back of his head on the turf after being tackled by Cameron and was subbed out of the Eagles' 13-point loss on Sunday with concussion.
The incident was assessed by match review officer Michael Christian on Monday as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Cameron, who controversially escaped suspension from a dangerous tackle charge earlier in the season on good character grounds, said he lost his balance when his leg got caught up with Duggan.
"I thought I had him, then I lost my footing when he was fighting the tackle and it caused me to lose my balance," he told the Tribunal.
"I intended to stand up in the tackle ... but he rotates his body and twists, so he's dragging me down when we get our feet tangled."
Hannon said Cameron could have released Duggan's right arm as they began falling to ground, and argued the Lions star didn't need to drive his Eagles opponent into the Optus Stadium turf with force.
"The fact Cameron's foot may've become entangled with Duggan's was entirely foreseeable and not an exceptional circumstance in a close up tackle," Hannon told the Tribunal.
Cameron believed his coaches would be frustrated with him had he done what Hannon was suggesting.
"If I let him go in the tackle, I'd be in trouble," he said.
"I was trying to lock the ball inside my forward 50. Not a good look defensively (if he let go of the tackle)."
Cameron will miss crucial games against ladder-leaders Sydney, Gold Coast and St Kilda as last year's grand finalists, who have won six-straight games, surge to try and secure a top-four berth.
But Brisbane haven't ruled out taking Cameron's case to the AFL appeals board, which Sydney star Isaac Heeney unsuccessfully attempted last week.
Giants defender Lachie Whitfield had earlier expressed his dismay at Bedford's suspension.
"We're all a bit shocked by the three weeks," Whitfeld said.
"When I read that ... I was honestly astonished."
Gold Coast's Alex Davies was charged with forceful front-on contact after bumping Lachie Jones in the head while the Port player was bent over the ball.
The incident was classified as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Like the two other cases, the charge was upheld and Davies will miss games against GWS, the Lions and West Coast.
Davies' Suns teammate Malcolm Rosas Jr accepted a one-match ban for striking Port's Logan Evans with an off-the-ball elbow.
Australian Associated Press
