Freo's Fyfe fined for trip

Nat Fyfe's Brownlow Medal chances are alive after he was given a fine for tripping Western Bulldog Koby Stevens at Etihad Stadium yesterday.

There were fears the Fremantle superstar Fyfe could be suspended for the incident, thus ruling him out of medal contention.

But the AFL match review panel today handed Fyfe a $1000 fine.

Fyfe collected his opponent with his right leg as he fell to the ground during the second quarter.

"Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the Western Bulldogs Football Club, it was the view of the panel the incident should be classified as intentional conduct with low impact to the body," the MRP said in a statement.

Suspended twice last season, Fyfe described the latest incident as a “brain fade”.

Under the revamped tribunal system this year, his charge of careless conduct with low or medium impact to the body carries a fine.

Had last year’s tribunal system still been in place, the AFL could have faced major embarrassment.

Fyfe’s trip would almost certainly have attracted 80 points, a reprimand and no loss of Brownlow Medal eligibility.

But because Fyfe had 76.25 points left on his record, he would have been suspended for one week.

The AFL would then have had to explain why a player who had been suspended could remain eligible for the Brownlow Medal.

The new, simpler system, has prevented that confusion.

Fyfe finished second behind West Coast’s Matt Priddis in last year’s Brownlow Medal count but was ineligible after missing four matches through suspension.

The two-times Doig Medal winner has made a stellar start to the 2015 season and was best on ground against the Bulldogs.

He gathered 30 possessions — 20 of them contested — took seven marks, kicked three goals and had 10 clearances.

Fremantle dominated inside 50m entries 63-46 and had 29 shots on goal to 19, but were almost overrun in the final quarter as the Bulldogs charged home. Scores were level in time-on before goals to Michael Walters and captain Matthew Pavlich sealed the Dockers’ seventh consecutive win.