Following on from Collingwood's Jaidyn Stephenson receiving a 10-match ban for betting on Pies matches, we've delved back into the books and looked at 10 of the most famous suspensions in the league's history.
The majority of this list includes penalties from on-field incidents, but we've included events off the field too, such as Stephenson's.
Here are 10 of the AFL's most famous suspensions:
6. Richie Vandenberg โ 2004 vs. Essendon โ 6 games
The โLine in the Sandโ match is one of the more memorable games in AFL history. After years of Essendon intimidating the Hawks and many other teams, Hawthorn made a stand. However, it boiled over into one of the biggest meleeโs weโve seen.
Vandenberg, a future captain of the Hawks, was the most involved of any player, hence the lengthy suspension. He was charged with striking Adam McPhee, making unnecessary and unreasonable contact with his leg to McPhee, and engaging in a melee.
There were a number of penalties handed out from that game, however Vandenbergโs was the most severe.
