Gary Ablett is free to take on North Melbourne on Sunday after the AFL tribunal overturned the first suspension of the dual Brownlow medallist’s long and storied career. The tribunal jury took just three minutes on Tuesday night to determine that Ablett was not guilty of intentionally striking Essendon’s Dylan Shiel during Geelong’s win over the Bombers last Sunday. He was instead fined $2000, having been unsuccessful in attempting to avoid a fine altogether on the basis of having an exemplary record. “I’m very happy with the outcome,” Ablett said after the hearing, agreeing that the decision vindicated his clean record and reputation. Moving on: Gary Ablett speaks to the media. Credit:Darrian Traynor Ablett did not dispute match review officer Michael Christian’s classification of the incident as high contact and low impact, but argued that his conduct towards Shiel was careless rather than intentional.<doc-sep>Gary Ablett is facing AFL match review scrutiny for a second-straight week after another undisciplined act in Geelong’s 24-point victory over North Melbourne. Having convinced the tribunal last week to overturn a one-game ban for striking Essendon’s Dylan Shiel, Ablett is highly likely to be cited for striking Kangaroos backman Sam Wright during Sunday afternoon’s 16.8 (104) to 11.14 (80) win at Marvel Stadium. In a near-identical incident, Ablett left his feet, raised his forearm and made high contact with Wright after the North backman handballed to a teammate. Wright was quickly back on his feet and, unlike last week, Ablett - who was among the Cats’ best with four goals - was not reported. But the clash is certain to be examined by match review officer Michael Christian, and the similarity of the incidents means two-time Brownlow Medallist and 329-game veteran Ablett is again at risk of his first career suspension. Former Port Adelaide midfielder Kane Cornes told SEN radio it looked worse than the Shiel incident and Ablett was likely to cop a one-game ban. The incident soured what was otherwise a hard-fought win for the top-of-the- table Cats, who absorbed everything thrown at them by a determined North Melbourne outfit whose performance belied their lowly ladder position. Fittingly, it was Ablett who iced the victory for Geelong. The Kangaroos threatened an upset when Ben Brown’s fifth major pared back a 28-point deficit to two goals late in the final term. Enter Ablett, who received a handball deep in the forward pocket and kicked a magical curling goal around the corner. The 34-year-old then marked on the lead and kicked his fourth major to put the result beyond doubt. Geelong were led magnificently by Brownlow Medal contender Tim Kelly, who gathered 36 disposals and 11 clearances - the majority during an absorbing, momentum-swinging third quarter - and also booted two brilliant goals. The Cats started sluggishly but were far better all day at making their opportunities count and, ultimately, had too much class for their 17th-placed opponents. Shaun Higgins and Ben Cunnington were tireless for the Roos, while Mitch Duncan and Patrick Dangerfield were also important for Geelong. There was confusion before the game with the Cats adding skipper Joel Selwood to their team then withdrawing him. Initially named as an emergency after missing last week’s win over Essendon with soreness, Selwood was announced as a late replacement for Sam Menegola (knee) in the Cats’ team, submitted 90 minutes before the opening bounce. Some 30 minutes later, the Cats declared Selwood unfit to play and named Charlie Constable as his replacement.<doc-sep>Geelong champion Gary Ablett could come under scrutiny for a late hit on North Melbourne’s Sam Wright. In the second quarter of the Cats’ clash with the Kangaroos, Wright had disposed of the ball when Ablett caught him high and late with a swinging arm. Wright received a free kick for the high contact, while teammate Robbie Tarrant immediately remonstrated with Ablett. Live stream the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14 day free trial > “I don’t think it was major contact to be honest. It looks uglier than what it is,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King said on Fox Footy. “I know it’s not the act we want to see in the game. “He walked the fine line, he walked the tightrope last week. Does he go for that again, I’m not sure. “Is there a cumulative effect with the MRO – I don’t know what the situation is. “But look, I’d be surprised if he goes for that.” The incident came a week after Ablett’s hit on Essendon star Dylan Shiel. Ablett was initially rubbed out for one week, the first time in his 328-game career, but was able to beat the charge upon challenging at the tribunal. The Cats successfully had the charge downgraded from international to careless conduct, which resulted in a fine for the dual Brownlow Medallist. Ablett starred against North Melbourne, finishing with 16 touches and four goals in a 24-point win.<doc-sep>
Geelong champion Gary Ablett turns 35 on Tuesday and he may yet find himself marking the milestone with another visit to the AFL tribunal. Only days after successfully challenging a one-week suspension for a high hit on Essendon’s Dylan Shiel, Ablett will again come under Match Review Officer scrutiny for a similar incident involving North Melbourne’s Sam Wright. The dual Brownlow medallist attempted to block Wright from running on after handballing over Ablett’s head, with the umpire paying the Kangaroo a free kick for a high hit. Like last week’s incident, Ablett left the ground and his arm made high contact – although not forcefully. He ended Sunday’s game among Geelong’s best players, with four goals in a 24-point win. It has been an incident-packed year for Ablett, who has been reinvented as a half-forward at Geelong, where he has been a crucial cog in the Cats’ move towards premiership favouritism. Despite this, opposition fans have become increasingly agitated towards Ablett, regularly booing him in the wake of his social media snafu when he initially appeared to offer support to Israel Folau over his religion-inspired opposition to homosexuality. Ablett was initially rubbed out for one week for his hit on Shiel – the first time in his career. Geelong took the matter to the tribunal and had the charge downgraded from intentional to careless conduct, which resulted in a $2000 fine. “I’ve never intentionally striked [sic] anyone in my career. [I’m] just really happy with the result,” Ablett told reporters after the tribunal hearing. “I didn’t go to intentionally strike him and I’m glad it all played out the way it did.” Ablett has now played 329 games, with Geelong’s next match a home fixture against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday.