Thomas accepts two-match ban
Collingwood midfielder Dale Thomas has accepted a two-week sanction with an early plea for rough conduct on Fremantle’s Garrick Ibbotson.
Watch the incident on the club's YouTube channel.
Collingwood midfielder Dale Thomas has accepted a two-week sanction with an early plea for rough conduct on Fremantle’s Garrick Ibbotson.
He will miss the round 24 blockbuster against Geelong on Friday night at the MCG, and the Magpies' qualifying final against West Coast a week later.
Thomas risked being suspended for three matches if he took the case to the tribunal and was unsuccessful.
The incident occurred during the first quarter of the Magpies’ 80-point win over the Dockers at Patersons Stadium last Friday night.
Based on the video evidence available and a medical report available from Fremantle, the Match Review Panel assessed the incident as reckless conduct (two points), low impact (two points) and high contact (two points).
This is a total of five activation points, resulting in a classification of a level two offence drawing 225 demerit points and a two-match sanction. He had an existing poor record of one match suspended (round 12 this year against Melbourne for striking) within the last three years, increasing the penalty by 10 per cent to 247.50 points. He had also 68.75 demerit points carried over from within the last 12 months, increasing the penalty to 316.25 points and a three-match sanction.
An early plea reduced the penalty by 25 per cent to 237.19 points and a two-match sanction.
After finishing third in the 2010 Copeland Trophy and being one of the club’s best players across the two grand finals last year, Thomas has enjoyed another excellent season in 2011.
The 24-year-old has played 19 matches this season for a career total of 130, and in 2011 is averaging 25 possessions per game, which ranks him third at the club behind only Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury.
Thomas, who the club selected with the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is also third at the club for total marks and fourth for clearances.