Ben Long will miss just one match after successfully overturning part of his suspension at the AFL Tribunal, with the panel finding Brayden Maynard’s actions played a significant role in the incident that sparked one of the biggest flashpoints of the 2026 season.
The Gold Coast forward had originally been handed a two-match ban for rough conduct after striking Maynard in the ribs during Saturday night’s fiery clash with Collingwood. However, the Tribunal downgraded the impact of the incident from high to medium, reducing Long’s suspension to one game.
The decision hinged on an interesting argument from the Suns.
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Gold Coast’s legal team contended that Maynard had initiated the confrontation by aggressively approaching Bailey Humphrey after the young Sun kicked a goal moments before halftime. They argued Long was simply coming to the defence of his teammate and that Maynard had made himself vulnerable by focusing entirely on Humphrey.
The Tribunal agreed.
In delivering its verdict, chair Timothy Bourke said Maynard had made himself “vulnerable as the antagonist” and that his lack of awareness contributed to the severity of the contact.
“Player Maynard made himself vulnerable as the antagonist,” Bourke said.
“This resulted in the impact appearing to be greater than it was.”
That finding proved decisive.
While the Tribunal maintained Long’s conduct was intentional, it concluded the impact should be graded as medium rather than high, reducing the sanction from two matches to one.
The AFL had pushed strongly for the original suspension to stand.
League counsel argued Maynard’s injury was significant, pointing to the fact the Collingwood defender remained on the ground in obvious pain after the strike. The AFL maintained the visible effect of the contact justified the high-impact grading.
Ultimately, the Tribunal wasn’t convinced.
The ruling means Long will now miss only Gold Coast’s clash with Adelaide before becoming available for selection again.
The hearing followed another significant Tribunal result involving Western Bulldogs midfielder Matt Kennedy.
Kennedy successfully overturned his one-match suspension for forceful front-on contact against Sydney’s Caiden Cleary after the Tribunal accepted he had made reasonable efforts to reduce the force of the collision. His suspension was replaced by a financial penalty, although the panel noted he had been “lucky” to avoid missing a game.
Long’s successful appeal closes one chapter of a remarkable weekend that generated 37 Match Review sanctions and more than $60,000 in fines across the competition. The halftime melee also resulted in Brayden Maynard and Gold Coast captain Touk Miller each receiving $5,000 fines for making contact with an umpire, although both avoided suspension.
For Gold Coast, the Tribunal outcome is a significant victory.
For Collingwood, however, the finding that Maynard was the “antagonist” is likely to become one of the most debated talking points from an incident that divided the football world.
