Yarrawonga will be without star midfielder Harry Wheeler for two matches after he was suspended for striking at the Ovens and Murray tribunal on Wednesday night.
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Wheeler was found guilty of intentionally striking Wangaratta's Abraham Ankers during the first quarter of the clash at Lavington Sports Ground on Saturday.
Video footage showed Wheeler, who pleaded not guilty, in a push and shove with his direct opponent Mark Anderson who was tagging him at the stoppage, before Ankers ran into the contest and was hit by a swinging arm from the Pigeon.
Wheeler said he had been pushing Anderson with an open palm in an attempt to get separation and argued he wasn't aware Ankers was in his vicinity, and didn't recall contact being made.
"He came between us (Anderson and I) and he went down playing for a free kick," Wheeler said.
"I found out on Tuesday I had been reported. I was very surprised."
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Ankers said in his evidence he copped a swinging arm and thought he may have been able to win a free kick.
When questioned by the panel, Ankers said he was winded by the contact and played out the game.
Tribunal chairman Wayne Taylor determined the evidence provided by Wheeler and Ankers was inconsistent with the footage, and was satisfied the strike was intentional and with a closed fist.
"We find it was a matter off the ball designed to stop Ankers," Taylor said.
The set penalty for the incident is a two-match ban, and Taylor admitted even with a clean record, there was insufficient evidence to reduce it.
Taylor also fired a shot at Ankers and said the tribunal had difficulty accepting his evidence and asked his advocate Damien Sheridan to relay the message.
"We think it's a case of player looking after player. We expect evidence to be more straightforward," Taylor said.
Meanwhile, Albury's Michael Duncan won't be available for Saturday's clash against Wangaratta Rovers after he was suspended for one match for striking.
Duncan was cited by the match review panel for a glancing blow to the head of Myrtleford's Frazer Dale in the third quarter of the match at Albury Sportsground on Saturday.
The Tiger, who was charged for the first time in his career, entered a guilty plea and the tribunal accepted he was remorseful for his actions after evidence was provided that he owned up to his mistake in front of the playing group at training this week.
Umpires advocate Jason Sofield believed Duncan was worthy of a reprimand given his clean record and the fact he had integrity by owning up to his actions, which was supported by Myrtleford player advocate Paul Evans and Albury representative Lindsay Rollings.
Taylor said the tribunal deemed the act was intentional and the fact it made contact to the head made it too difficult to offer a reprimand.
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