Pendlebury Avoids Suspension, Fined $3,000

Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury avoided a one-match suspension on Tuesday night when an AFL tribunal downgraded his rough conduct charge to a $3,000 fine, preserving his unblemished record across 427 games.

The 38-year-old midfielder faced the tribunal following a collision with Adelaide defender Josh Worrell during Collingwood's loss to the Crows at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. The AFL's match review officer classified the incident as careless conduct with medium impact and high contact after Pendlebury made contact with Worrell's head while pursuing a loose ball following a throw-in. Worrell was knocked to the ground but required no medical attention and continued playing.

Pendlebury, appearing before the tribunal for the first time in his 21-season career, contested the careless element of the charge while accepting the impact and contact assessments. He described the moment as an inevitable clash, stating he braced himself to minimize harm. "I just braced myself for a collision," Pendlebury told the hearing. "I felt that if I didn't brace myself, potentially we would have knocked each other out." He emphasized his concern for player safety, adding that he...