PORT ADELAIDE forward Willie Rioli will miss Saturday night’s Showdown despite having a striking charge downgraded by the AFL tribunal.

The AFL’s Match Review Officer originally charged Rioli with striking Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy in the last quarter of Saturday night’s game at Adelaide Oval, classifying the incident as intentional high contact of medium impact.

It meant he would be banned for two games.

At the tribunal hearing on Tuesday evening, Rioli pleaded guilty to striking subject to the classification of the incident being downgraded to careless rather than intentional contact and low rather than medium impact. That would have seen the ban overturned and a fine imposed.

However, while the tribunal sided with Rioli and found the strike had a low impact, it also ruled the strike was intentional, meaning the ban was cut to one week.

In a statement read to the panel during the hearing, Rioli apologised for making contact with Murphy’s head, saying he meant to push him in the chest to create separation because the defender was pushing and holding him. He also admitted he should have been more careful.

“Early in the final quarter, the ball was being kicked into our forward 50 and my opponent at the time was holding onto my jumper by the collar trying to stop me from getting to the contest where the ball was being kicked to,” the statement said.

“The ball was traveling in the air and was about to come into my area, and it is my job as a small forward to get to the marking contest, in case the ball comes to ground. 

“As I tried to get separation on my opponent so that I could get to the contest, he was still holding on to my guernsey. 

“I tried to push him off, he pushed me back, which forced me off balance with his right hand, just before I pushed off with my left hand. 

“My intention was to push him in the chest, but his arm was outstretched and holding me, and my open hand first made contact with his upper arm/shoulder area and then made contact behind his ear, which I wasn’t aware of until I saw the vision. 

“The contact was not hard at all. It was a push, the same as the push and shove between my opponent and me. I didn’t want to do anything that would get me in trouble. I’m sorry I made contact with his head.

“I didn’t mean to. I should have been more careful.”

The AFL’s counsel Andrew Woods conceded Murphy had not suffered an injury, left the field or required any medical treatment at the time or since.

But he argued the contact must be considered intentional and the impact should still be considered medium.

He said the potential to cause more serious injury must be taken into consideration.

“When you look at the lead up to this strike and the action of the strike itself, it can’t be anything other than intentional,” Mr Woods said.

“Rioli doesn’t turn around and track the ball after he looks back on the last occasion before he strikes Murphy. And that’s telling in my submission. His eyes are on Murphy and not the ball while committing the act.

“Mr Rioli then makes no effort to track the ball or look towards the contest until after Murphy falls to the ground.”

Acting for Rioli, Ben Krupka said Rioli’s intention was to push Murphy to the body, not to the head at a time when both players were grappling on a wet night as the ball approached.

He said Murphy’s arms lifted in an upwards motion while he took hold of Rioli’s shirt, causing Rioli’s intended push to his chest to glance off Murphy’s shoulder and make contact with the back of his ear.

He said at all times Rioli’s hand remained open, showing his intention to push Murphy off him and at no point did he have a clenched fist to strike Murphy.

“The Match Review Officer was entitled to charge this as intentional but he didn’t have the benefit of Mr Rioli’s statement and evidence when he did. The tribunal does.

“That is the only direct evidence of what was in his mind at the time of this offence.

“The vision supports the idea that Mr Rioli intended to make contact with the body but through accident, carelessness or however you wish to classify it, instead made contact with the back of the head.”

The outcome means Rioli will sit out the Showdown but be available to face Geelong in Round 21.