Western Bulldogs receive good news for elimination AFL final

Key Western Bulldogs defender Liam Jones is cleared to play, but Carlton’s dynamic forward Matt Owies will miss the first week of the AFL finals after receiving a one-match suspension.

Jones, who was expected to face a ban for his dumping tackle on Aaron Cadman, is now eligible to participate in the first final of his 14-season, 199-game AFL career.

The incident occurred just 18 seconds into Sunday’s 37-point victory over the Giants. As Cadman took possession inside the 50, Jones pinned his right arm and drove him into the ground, causing Cadman’s head to hit the turf hard.

The forward was awarded a free kick for a dangerous tackle as Cadman’s teammates immediately reacted, furious with Jones’ actions. Although Jones only pinned one arm, he used that leverage to forcefully drag the young Giants forward to the ground.

However, the rough-conduct incident was classified as careless conduct, low impact, and high contact, allowing Jones to escape with a $2500 fine with an early guilty plea.

Last week, the AFL suspended GWS defender Lachie Ash for a similar tackle on Fremantle’s Hayden Young, where Ash also pinned only one arm but took Young to the ground with force.

Given that precedent, many expected Jones to be suspended for a medium impact rough conduct charge. The 33-year-old is a key player in the Bulldogs’ backline and would be a significant loss if he were unavailable.

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