AFL's Ottens is offered one-match ban
Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens has been handed a one-match ban by the AFL's match review panel for striking West Coast's Mark Nicoski in last weekend's round of matches.
The panel on Monday charged Ottens with a level-four striking offence resulting from Friday's round-16 clash in Perth.
The two-time premiership player's clean record allows Ottens to cut his ban from three matches to one with an early guilty plea.
Geelong, who have slipped to second place following two consecutive losses, face 15th-placed Brisbane on Sunday at the Gabba.
Ottens would risk a two-week suspension if he chose to contest the charge at the tribunal on Tuesday night.
Former Adelaide captain Mark Ricciuto was among those to voice concern on Monday over how Ottens could be offered just a one-match ban for an off-the-ball incident.
"I would have thought that that's the stuff they're trying to get rid of," Ricciuto said on FoxSports program On The Couch.
West Coast ruckman/forward Nic Naitanui can accept 93.75 points towards future charges and a reprimand for a level-one charge of making forceful contact from front-on against Geelong's Taylor Hunt.
The panel ruled several other incidents were not reportable offences, including Richmond big man Ty Vickery's clash with Essendon's Paddy Ryder and Tigers forward Jake King's tussle with Angus Monfries.
A total of 26 charges were laid on Monday, including 23 charges against 20 players for involvement in melees in the Essendon-Richmond and Port Adelaide-St Kilda matches.
Players have been offered fines totalling $32,700 over the melee charges.
The 20 players charged over melees were: Richmond's Vickery, Shane Edwards, Dustin Martin and Shaun Grigg; Essendon's Ryder, Jake Melksham, Leroy Jetta and Ben Howlett; St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo, Jack Steven, Stephen Milne and Sam Fisher; and Port's Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, David Rodan, Matthew Lobbe, Tom Logan, Hamish Hartlett, Jay Schulz and Chad Cornes.
Rodan can also accept a $900 sanction with an early plea for making negligent contact with an umpire.
© 2024 AAP
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