We've decided to go back through and look at the longest suspensions in AFL history.
To qualify for this list, the incident must have occurred at a game and on the field of play from anywhere between 1990 to now.
8. Richie Vandenberg - 2004 vs. Essendon - 6 games
The 'Line in the Sand' 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 melees we've seen.
Richie 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 Vandenberg's was the most severe.
