PORT ADELAIDE ruckman Scott Lycett has been banned for four weeks by the AFL tribunal over the first quarter tackle that left Adelaide’s Ned McHenry concussed in Saturday night’s Showdown XLIX.

After a review by the Match Review Officer, Lycett was charged with Rough Conduct for a dangerous tackle.

Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as careless conduct with high contact and a severe impact.

During the tribunal hearing on Tuesday evening, AFL counsel Jeff Gleeson QC showed various replays of the tackle and reminded the jury to consider the force applied by Lycett and the injury suffered by McHenry.

He said it needed to consider Lycett “turning the body to increase the force” and the “whipping action” which caused McHenry’s head to “hit and bounce off the turf.”

“I’m not saying he intends to slam his head into the ground. The question is what was the effect,” Mr Gleeson said.

“This dangerous tackle had the effect of slamming (the head) into the ground. The impact was considerable.”

Mr Gleeson also said there was potential for an even worse injury and he urged the jury to impose a four-game suspension.

However, he said it was to Lycett’s credit that the ruckman had accepted the elements of the charge.

Paul Ehrlich QC acting for Lycett said by his guilty plea, the Port Adelaide ruckman had accepted the elements of the offence as charged but urged the jury to use the principal of parity.

Mr Ehrlich compared the tackle to one by Melbourne’s Alex Neal-Bullen on Adelaide’s Will Hamill in 2020 that saw the Demon banned for four weeks, as well as tackles made by Crow Taylor Walker and Carlton’s Will Setterfield which attracted two-week penalties.

He said while the impact of Lycett's tackle was more severe than Walker and Setterfield's, it was less less severe than Neal-Bullen’s and on the basis of parity a three-week suspension should be the penalty.

“This was not an incident that occurred behind the player off the ball.” Mr Ehrlich said. “We don’t shy away from the fact that Scott breached his duty and the tackle was dangerous. But it was not intentional and he didn’t engage in the conduct with the intent of committing a reportable offence. In other words, he didn’t intend to commit a dangerous tackle.

“Size disparity is part of the game. Size is irrelevant. It does not enter into the equation.

“Yes, Scott is a larger man but he was entitled to bump or tackle. All sizes play this game and … players are entitled to play to their strengths, that’s what Mr Lycett was doing.”

The jury of David Neitz, Stewart Loewe and Wayne Henwood deliberated for a short period and imposed the four-game penalty, considering the impact of the tackle, the vulnerability of McHenry and the potential to cause further injury.

After the hearing Lycett told media the club would consider its position regarding the matter overnight.

“I’m very remorseful for what’s happened over the weekend,” he said.

“I’ll sit down tonight with the club to figure out what comes next.

“I’m disappointed with four weeks but very remorseful.”