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GWS star Johnson accepts one-match AFL ban

The Giants had considered challenging the MRP’s ban but a failure in that regard would have cost Johnson two matches and a place in the AFL decider, should GWS win its preliminary final against either Hawthorn or the Western Bulldogs at Spotless Stadium.

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Tippett will miss Sydney’s cut-throat semi-final against Adelaide at the SCG on Saturday night but Swans football manager Tom Harley said the club was hopeful the 29-year-old would be available the following week if they qualified for a preliminary final meeting with Geelong.

The ball had left the area when contact was made halfway through the first quarter and the blow stunned Kennedy, who left the field for a concussion test.

Johnson was charged with rough conduct for a high bump on Sydney Swans opponent Josh Kennedy, which was graded as careless conduct, with medium impact to the head.

It marks the second time Johnson has been ruled out of a playoff game through suspension, having missed an elimination final in 2012.

The 2007 Norm Smith medallist has played all but one game this season, booting 43 goals.

Meanwhile, Giants ruckman Shane Mumford has been cleared of any wrongdoing for an incident with Kurt Tippett that left the Swans’ ruckman with a hairline fracture to his jaw.

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The MRP said an injury sustained by Tippett had been caused in an earlier ruck contest and not the Mumford tackle.

Dan Hannebery of the Swans