Patrick Dangerfield to challenge one-match ban at AFL Tribunal over Sam Walsh tackle in Geelong-Carlton game

Geelong will challenge the one-match ban handed down to Patrick Dangerfield in a bid to free the veteran for Saturday night’s crunch clash with Essendon.

Sam Walsh’s head hit the ground after being tackled to the ground by Dangerfield during Carlton’s 63-point win last week.

Walsh’s arms were pinned in the tackle, but it was the momentum of the two bodies rather than a driving action from Dangerfield that resulted in Walsh’s head hitting the turf.

The incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, drawing a one-match ban.

Dangerfield will front the AFL Tribunal in a bid to overturn the suspension.

Before the appeal was confirmed, Dangerfield was tight-lipped when questioned about the incident on Monday morning.

“It’s probably one more for the interpretation of how lawyers see these things,” he said.

“I’m not going to get into a slanging match over how things are adjudicated at the moment.”

Asked if it was difficult to expect players not to grab an arm in a tackle, Dangerfield replied: “It’s a tough game to play, it’s a tough game to adjudicate.

“Quite clearly there’s been a change over the last few years of understanding where concussion is at, the importance of it, and how we treat it.”

Dangerfield tallied 17 disposals and four clearances against Carlton in his first match back from a hamstring injury.

Geelong (8-6) have lost six of their past seven matches to slip to seventh on the ladder.