The tribunal has handed down a pair of decisions that leaves Brisbane's defensive ranks in tatters ahead of Saturday night's Round 1 showdown with Sydney at the SCG.
The AFL tribunal has upheld suspensions handed to key defenders Harris Andrews and Darcy Gardiner, snuffing out the reigning premiers' hopes of fielding a full strength unit against the resurgent Swans.
Lions co-captain Andrews has been banned for three matches, while Gardiner will have to sit out the Swans meeting at the SCG on Saturday night. Andrews is also slated to miss games against St Kilda and Collingwood.
The pair came unstuck during Brisbane's five-point Opening Round loss to the Western Bulldogs. Andrews gave evidence at the tribunal on Tuesday night, arguing he was attempting to shepherd for Dayne Zorko when he threw his left arm back and accidentally concussed Western Bulldogs forward Arthur Jones. Despite his argument that the contact was unintentional, the Match Review Officer graded the incident as severe impact, careless conduct and high contact.
Gardiner's case hinged on a finer legal point. Gardiner argued he was not guilty of striking because his high contact with Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton did not constitute a strike, with his legal representative arguing it was a double-handed push that resulted in glancing contact with the back of Gardiner's tricep to Naughton's neck. But the tribunal would have none of it. The tribunal found that Gardiner's right arm extended up with forceful contact made by the forearm, elbow and tricep region with Naughton's neck and head, with frame-by-frame viewing showing forceful contact was made.
The timing could hardly be worse. Fellow Lions flag stars Hugh McCluggage (calf injury) and Zac Bailey, who did not contest his one-match ban for striking, are also unavailable this week. That's a quartet of quality players missing from a Brisbane line-up that's already asked to contain new Sydney spearhead Charlie Curnow.
Sydney won Opening Round with an emphatic victory over Carlton at the SCG, with Gulden starring with 27 disposals while Charlie Curnow and Joel Amartey booted three as the Swans overwhelmed the Blues with their midfield pressure and forward efficiency. That form, combined with Brisbane's defensive holes, paints a picture of trouble ahead for the reigning premiers.
Here's the thing about tribunal decisions: they send a message to the competition about where the bar sits. The Lions compared the Gardiner incident to an episode from last season, when Patrick Dangerfield's high contact with St Kilda's Ryan Byrnes was deemed low impact and the Geelong champion was fined for striking, rather than being suspended. That argument didn't move the tribunal, suggesting a tougher line is being drawn this season.
Brisbane will need to get creative with their back line. The reigning dual premiers have shown before they can patch holes when circumstances demand it, but losing both Andrews and Gardiner whilst McCluggage recovers from his calf strain is a genuine test of their depth. Come Saturday night, we'll see just how well they respond.