West Coast star Elliot Yeo is free to play in Saturday night’s AFL clash with Geelong after having his striking charge overturned at the tribunal.
The Eagles challenged Yeo’s one-game suspension for striking Collingwood’s Rupert Wills during the third quarter of Sunday’s thumping 66-point win against the Magpies at Optus Stadium.
West Coast’s legal counsel David Grace argued the contact was negligible and didn’t warrant a reportable offence, and after a lengthy deliberation, the tribunal found him not guilty.
The premiership utility’s strike was graded as intentional conduct, low impact and high contact.
The 26-year-old – a dual All-Australian and two-time club best-and-fairest winner – has missed just one match since the start of 2018.
Yeo has gradually built form this season and was one of West Coast’s best players against Collingwood in a win that rocketed the Eagles up to fifth on the ladder.
While Yeo will line-up against Geelong, the Cats will be missing an important player.
Veteran key forward Tom Hawkins is facing a one-game suspension for striking Fremantle’s Luke Ryan in the Cats’ 32-point win on Monday night.
The final quarter incident was graded as intentional, low impact and high contact.
It is Hawkins’ seventh game lost to suspension in less than five years after missing last year’s preliminary final loss for a striking charge.