Ryder, the Bombers’ only uninjured senior-listed ruckman was facing a two-week ban after being booked for rough conduct against Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfield during Sunday’s clash at Docklands.
But his legal team successfully argued that the force applied when shepherding the young Crow was not unreasonable in the circumstances, and that any contact to the head was merely an accident after initial force was shoulder to shoulder.
He is now free to play in his club’s next match – against Melbourne on June 19 at Docklands.
A relieved Essendon football manager, Paul Hamilton, said his club had been confident of beating the charge and that was why it decided to challenge the match review panel’s ruling, instead of taking the one week originally on offer.
“We’re really pleased with the decision,” Hamilton said after the hearing.
“We believe Paddy Ryder’s a very fair player, he has been his whole career and obviously the tribunal found that tonight.
“We were confident going in because we believed his action was reasonable [and] we knew what his intent was.”
During the case, the AFL’s legal counsel said Ryder had used excessive force when shepherding Dangerfield.
“This was an event that was an avoidable one,” Andrew Tinney told the tribunal.
But Michael Tovey, QC, said Ryder had kept his feet planted on the ground when shepherding Dangerfield and there was “nothing remarkable” about the force which was used.
The three-man jury took its time coming to its not guilty verdict, but one suspects Essendon coach Matthew Knights will sleep happily after hearing the news.
Had Essendon’s risk not paid off the Bombers would have found themselves in a squeeze for a ruckman, with rookie-listed youngster Christian Bock the club’s only specialist in that position.
“We’re a bit low on rucks at the moment, as we saw on the weekend,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also said scans to one of Ryder’s wrists this week had cleared the athletic big man of any damage and the club was looking forward to him taking on the Demons in round 12.
In the night’s opening case, which lasted almost an hour, the tribunal found Port Adelaide’s Toby Thurstans guilty of making negligent contact with an umpire.
Despite the Power’s representation appealing fro a reduction to the fine, he was still asked to pay a $2600 fine.
Earlier in the day, St Kilda ruckman Steven King received the heftiest penalty of the season when he accepted a four-match ban for rough conduct against North Melbourne’s Sam Power.
King would have risked a six-game suspension had he contested the charge but by taking the MRP’s offer will miss games against Carlton, Richmond, Geelong and West Coast.
And Port Adelaide’s Nick Lower also accepted a reprimand and 93.75 points towards his future record for striking Fremantle’s Paul Hasleby.
