Overview

• On Tuesday, a three-member AFL Tribunal dismissed the rough conduct charge against Pearce, making him available to play against Gold Coast this weekend
• Michael Christian’s Match Review Officer had graded the collision with Darcy Byrne-Jones as careless conduct with high contact and severe impact after Byrne-Jones was concussed
• Gleeson stated that Pearce maintained a direct path to the ball and would likely have taken the mark, rejecting the duty-of-care breach argument
• AFL counsel argued Pearce should have slowed and withdrawn from the contest, but the tribunal accepted his evidence that impacting the contest was the only practical response
• The case has intensified debate over player safety and concussion protocols in high-speed marking contests