Collingwood has accepted the one-game suspension handed down to Travis Varcoe and he will miss the Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash against the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Friday night.

Coach Nathan Buckley expressed his thoughts on the protecting the head rule on Tuesday morning.

“It’s unlikely that we see anyway as the rules are written to reduce it down to a fine,” Buckley told SEN’s Whateley program.

“The one way we may be able to get to it is medium down to low impact but it’s written into the rules around potential of injury and the contact itself… any fair-minded person would say the potential of injury was there. 

“As it’s written it’s really difficult to challenge.”

The significance of round ten is of great measures for Varcoe with the Collingwood guernsey designed in honour of his late sister, Maggie.  

“Varcs is one of the few players that plays the game at speed and who’s not afraid of physical contact… and welcomes that physical contact in the game. It’s really unfortunate for him.”

“We wear the guernsey the following week… We certainly hope that Trav gets the opportunity to wear the guernsey the week after.

“At the same time, it’s the way the laws are written. That’s the only way Trav wasn’t going to come to Sydney with us.”

Hear Buckley’s full interview with Gerard Whateley below.