The match review panel had found Dawes guilty of striking Richmond's Reece Conca on Friday night, ruling on Monday that he had made high, negligent and low-impact contact with the first-year Tiger.
But the tribunal determined that the contact was accidental and not negligent, after Dawes argued that he struck Conca while falling forward and bracing for impact with the ground.
Although John Gleeson SC, acting for the AFL, argued that Dawes had made a 'swatting' motion with his arm into Conca's head as he fell, the tribunal accepted the Magpie's explanation that he had limited control of his movements because he was off-balance and moving at speed.
Dawes argued that, rather than being negligent, he had actually acted with a duty of care towards Conca in attempting to avoid falling into his young Richmond opponent's back as he fell.
In doing so, he struck Conca's head, "purely by accident".
The tribunal accepted this version of events and dismissed the striking charge.
