Essendon's Mark Baguley is free to play this week, despite having a free-kick awarded against him for a tackle on Chad Wingard on Saturday night.

The Match Review Panel's finding is detailed below as well as clarification surrounding an earlier tackle involving the same two players.

Contact between Essendon’s Mark Baguley and Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard from the fourth quarter of Saturday’s match was assessed. Wingard took possession of the ball and was tackled to the ground by Baguley. While the Port Adelaide player had his arms pinned, Baguley turned his opponent in the tackle and there was no significant forceful contact made to the ground by Wingard’s head. The umpire correctly paid a free kick at the time to Wingard for a dangerous tackle and it was the view of the panel the matter was dealt with at the time on the field by the controlling umpire, as there was insufficient force to constitute a report. No further action was taken.

Contact between Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard and Essendon’s Mark Baguley from the first quarter of Saturday’s match was assessed. Baguley has the ball and is tackled by his Port Adelaide opponent. Wingard initially goes to ground in the tackle and then regains his feet and briefly lifts Baguley in the tackle. It was the view of the panel the force used in the tackle to take the Essendon player to ground was below that required to constitute a report, but it was the view of the panel that player Baguley should have been paid a free kick at the time for the tackle.