AFL Suspends Heeney and Rankine for Round 17 Incidents

The AFL's Match Review Officer (MRO) has issued seven charges from Sunday's Round 17 games. Sydney star Isaac Heeney and Adelaide's Izak Rankine face suspensions for their actions.

Heeney's Suspension

Isaac Heeney has been charged with striking St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster in the third quarter at Marvel Stadium. The MRO classified Heeney's actions as intentional conduct, low impact, and high contact, resulting in a one-game suspension. Heeney can challenge this decision at the AFL Tribunal to keep his Brownlow Medal chances alive. If the challenge fails, Heeney will miss the game against North Melbourne this weekend but can return in Round 19 against Brisbane. Sydney will decide on challenging the charge by Tuesday at 11:00am (AEST).

Rankine's Suspension

Adelaide's Izak Rankine has been suspended for four matches for an off-ball bump on Brisbane's Brandon Starcevich. Starcevich failed his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) after the collision. The MRO charged Rankine with rough conduct, graded as intentional conduct, severe impact, and high contact. Rankine will miss games against St Kilda, Essendon, Hawthorn, and Geelong before returning to face the Western Bulldogs.

Additional Fines

Several other players received fines for their actions in Round 17:

• Elliot Yeo: $1,250 for careless contact with an umpire.

• Mason Wood: $2,500 for tripping.

• Ben Keays: $1,875 for careless contact with an umpire.

• Rory Laird: $1,250 for careless contact with an umpire.

• Mark Keane: $5,000 for tripping.

These fines can be reduced with early guilty pleas