Geelong captain Joel Selwood has beaten a one-game striking ban at an animated AFL tribunal hearing.
Amid the prediction his testimony would make "a very good headline", Selwood repeatedly told the hearing he'd wanted to tell alleged victim, Port Adelaide forward Lindsay Thomas, his bump which had prompted their confrontation was "an effing dog act".
The Cats star also clashed twice with AFL advocate Nick Pane QC while giving evidence before tribunal chairman Ross Howie also joked about his lack of technical expertise.
After an hour-long hearing, the jury took about five minutes to decide Selwood's contact with Thomas' face did not constitute a strike.
Also on Tuesday night, the tribunal handed Hawthorn defender James Sicily a one-game game for serious misconduct and Thomas received a three-game suspension for rough conduct.
While Selwood challenged his one-game striking ban, Sicily and Thomas were direct referrals to the tribunal and pleaded guilty.
Sicily's admission came after a pre-hearing negotiation that lasted about half an hour and Jeff Gleeson QC, who was the AFL advocate for that case, said it was "time well spent".
Selwood and Thomas were charged with striking each other in a clash that came immediately after Thomas had concussed Joel's brother Scott with a high bump.
That bump cost Thomas the three-game rough conduct suspension.
While Thomas also accepted his one-game game for striking Joel, meaning he is out for a total of four matches, the Cats captain was adamant he did not strike the Port forward.
Selwood testified he did not know at the time it was his brother who was concussed in the Thomas bump but admitted being angry at the incident.
"Basically, I wanted to tell (Thomas) it was an effing dog act," Selwood said.
Thomas was on the ground when the Geelong captain confronted him.
As Selwood leaned over to grab a fistful of Thomas' guernsey, the Port player pulled him down.
Selwood said his left fist brushed the right side of Thomas' face but denied repeatedly that it was a strike.
At one point, Selwood again said the Thomas bump was "an effing dog act".
"We've heard that - it will make a very good headline," was Pane's sarcastic response.
Then Selwood rhetorically asked which way he was going to move when Thomas pulled him down and that prompted another retort from Pane.
"Let's do this this old-fashioned way - I will ask the questions," Pane said.
Near the end of the hearing, Howie said he had looked on his phone for the meaning of the word "strike".
"I looked it up on what I usually refer to as 'the Google' but my grandchildren inform me that term is incorrect," he said.
Sicily was emotional after his hearing, saying he had learned his lesson.
He is a repeat offender and had served a one-game ban already this season for kneeing Joel Selwood.
"I'm disappointed in the act and it's something that I need to get out of my game - it's definitely something I've learned from," Sicily said.
Australian Associated Press
