Collingwood veteran Anthony Rocca has called on the AFL tribunal to reconsider the one-match suspension handed to Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale for striking, arguing that Neale’s lengthy and clean career merits leniency. Rocca made the appeal on Monday following Neale’s ban for a stomach punch during Sunday’s game, which rules him out of the upcoming grand final.

Rocca, who played 242 AFL games over 15 seasons, referenced his own experience missing the 2003 grand final after receiving a two-week suspension for striking Port Adelaide’s Brendon Lade in the preliminary final. Although his ban was upheld on appeal, he said he understands the impact of missing a grand final and sympathizes with Neale’s situation. Rocca believes the tribunal should apply the clause allowing for a reduced penalty based on an “exceptional record,” converting Neale’s suspension into a fine.

“I didn’t see it during the game but got told by my son yesterday afternoon and had a look at the vision,” Rocca said. “If someone is going to miss a grand final because of that ... Seriously. The player wasn’t injured. Move on, particularly for a grand final.”

He emphasized Neale’s unblemished record over 320 games and stated that a suspension for the incident seemed excessively harsh considering the circumstances. “He has had an exceptional career, he hasn’t been suspended before. Move on. It is as easy as I can say it, move on,” Rocca added.

Rocca recalled his own suspension, which resulted from a high strike on Lade during a match Collingwood won by 44 points. The tribunal deemed the strike unnecessary and reckless, causing Rocca to miss the chance at a premiership that had eluded him throughout his career. “I think about it a lot because what could have been is a big issue. It is something you carry for a very long time," he said.

He noted that Collingwood’s victory in the 2023 grand final against Brisbane gave him a sense of closure, allowing him to move past the disappointment of missing out more than two decades earlier. “When the siren went it felt really good for the Collingwood football club and gave me a sense of achievement that the guys had played a really good game,” Rocca said. “I can’t explain it but it gave me a sense of relief and being able to let go of the wrongs of the past.”

Neale’s suspension has sparked debate over the consistency and fairness of AFL tribunal penalties, especially in cases involving high-stakes matches like the grand final. The tribunal has yet to announce whether it will heed calls for a reduction in Neale’s ban.