Cats fight Johnson ban

Geelong have decided to challenge the one-match ban on forward Steve Johnson, which would see him miss Saturday night's crunch game with Fremantle at Simonds Stadium.

Johnson was charged with kneeing North Melbourne's Scott Thomspon on the weekend and given a two-match ban, reduced to one with an early guilty plea.

But the Cats have decided to fight Johnson's case, which means if they are unsuccessful he will also miss the game with Carlton in round 21.

Carlton’s Nick Graham accepted a reprimand for engaging in rough conduct with Docker Ryan Crowley.

Western Bulldogs’ Tom Liberatore has accepted a $1950 sanction for making reckless contact with an umpire, while Essendon’s Dyson Heppell took a $900 fine for making negligent contact.

Richmond’s Bachar Houli and Giant Rhys Palmer both accepted $900 fines for wrestling each other, as did St Kilda’s Jack Newnes and Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch.

Saints David Armitage and Billy Longer as well as the Suns’ Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia have all conceded $1200 sanctions for engaging in a melee during the first quarter of their match.

The tribunal will hear Johnson's case from 3pm today (WA time).