Mitch Robinson’s reputation contributed to him receiving a one-match suspension for front-on contact, according to ex-Lions defender Luke Hodge.
Brisbane was unsuccessful in their bid to overturn Robinson’s ban for a bump on Port Adelaide’s Xavier Duursma at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Match Review Officer Michael Christian graded the incident as careless conduct, high contact and medium impact.
Hodge, who played alongside Robinson at the Lions, thinks the Brisbane hard-man has been “unfairly dealt with” because of his reputation
“Anyone who has watched Mitch Robinson play his whole career and even playing and training with him and playing against him, three years ago, Duursma would’ve been in all sorts,” Hodge told SEN’s Whateley.
“Mitch would’ve slowed down and would’ve run straight through him. You could see right then Mitch has stopped because he realised there was going to be a collision.
“He stopped and he braced, which is the natural instinct, and Duursma gets pushed by (Dan) McStay from behind. I think Mitch has been unfairly dealt with because of his reputation.
“I think (Rory) Sloane got off because Sloane said there’s no way I would ever intend to do that and I reckon everyone who has played with and against ‘Sloany’ would agree with that, there’s no way he would intend to eye-gouge.
“If that had of been Mitch on the other hand, it would’ve been a week. I feel that his reputation has got him a week.”
Robinson will miss Brisbane’s Round 2 clash against Essendon.