Billy Frampton Cleared After Three-Game Ban Falls

billy frampton was cleared by the AFL Tribunal on Wednesday night after Collingwood challenged his three-game ban for the tackle on Brody Mihocek. The ruling leaves the defender free to play in Collingwood's next game.

MCG Tackle Challenge

The case centered on a second-quarter incident at the MCG on Monday, when Mihocek slipped before Frampton wrapped him up during the King's Birthday clash. The Match Review Officer had charged Frampton with rough conduct and handed down the three-game ban that Collingwood took to the Tribunal on Wednesday evening.

That suspension would have sidelined a Collingwood defender for three matches. Instead, the Tribunal dismissed it on Wednesday night and Frampton walked away available for selection.

Mihocek's Injury Impact

The collision carried a much heavier cost for Mihocek. He landed in hospital after the tackle, required surgery on a neck fracture on Monday night and will miss the rest of the season because of the injury suffered in the incident.

Frampton's clearance removes the immediate roster hit for Collingwood at the same time his former premiership teammate remains out for the year. For the club, the practical result is simple: one defender stays available, one forward does not, and the ban that threatened to take Frampton out of the next three games is gone.

Collingwood's Next Move

For Collingwood, the immediate next step is selection. Frampton is eligible for the club's next game, while the fallout from the King's Birthday clash stays tied to Mihocek's recovery and season-ending injury. The Tribunal decision settled the only part Collingwood could still change.