Hodge beats tribunal charge

Two hits by Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge will see him squarely in the AFL match review panel's sights

HAWTHORN captain Luke Hodge's explanation of how he landed in trouble from a teammate's mistake was accepted by the AFL Tribunal.

Hodge is clear to lead the Hawks against West Coast at the MCG on Friday night after successfully challenging a rough conduct charge.

The skipper told a hearing that he accidentally made high contact to Carlton defender Lachie Henderson after teammate Jarryd Roughead inadventently blocked his path at a stoppage late in the second quarter last Friday night.

The jury of ex-players, Emmett Dunne, Wayne Henwood and David Pittman, took only a couple of minutes to dismiss the rough conduct charge.

Hodge told the hearing that Roughead got in the way of one of Hawthorn's set plays for midfielders at stoppages.

"It was my turn to go through and get it (the ball). Roughie jumped in front of me and I tried to avoid him,'' he said.

Hodge challenge a smart move

Hodge said the Hawks set up to leave space in front of the ruckman who was contesting the stoppage.

"Roughie was supposed to hold back for the midfielder to go through and collect the ball. I realised he was in my path and I tried to jump out of his road,'' he said.

"My sole intention was to jump out of his way and the contact with Henderson was inevitable.''

The Hawks ace told the hearing he had been confident of being able to win the ball based on the Hawks' research on where Carlton positioned their wingman and he said: "I knew they wouldn't be there.''

Buddy, Gibson cleared to play

Hodge, who risked a one-game suspension, had rejected a match review panel offer of a reprimand and 93.75 demerit points, to maintain a clean record this season.

"We knew my intention was to get out of the road of Roughie and there was a collision, so if I had of thought I just decided to bump, I wouldn't be here because there was a reprimand and I would've been able to play Friday night,'' he said after the hearing.

"But we were confident it wasn't a bump, it was avoiding Roughie. That was our defence and we're grateful they saw it the same way.

"It is a contact sport and people do collide. How fast the game is these days, there's going to be contact at times and this one was accidental.''

When AFL legal counsel Jeff Gleeson asked if he would have executed the same action if Henderson had been a Hawthorn player, Hodge replied: "It was a natural instinct to protect myself, there was no other option.''

Hodge avoided a ban for another contentious bump in the same match which left Carlton skipper Marc Murphy with a fractured cheekbone.

Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge has been cleared for the clash that left Blues' skipper Marc Murphy with a broken cheekbone.

A happy Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge leaves the AFL tribunal. Picture: Michael Klein