Katie Brennan will make unwanted history this weekend as the first AFLW player to be suspended for a Grand Final.
After her tribunal appeal was rejected Tuesday night, the ban for rough conduct was upheld, much to the chagrin of the Bulldogs and their fans.
Brennan’s name appears set to be added to the list of players who were forced to sit on the sidelines for a title decider.
AFL
Phil Carman
A regular in front of the VFL Tribunal throughout his career, Carman missed Collingwood’s Grand Final and Grand Final Replay against North Melbourne in 1977.
This ban was the result of striking Hawthorn’s Michael Tuck in the semi-final round and given a two-match ban.
He would watch his side suffer a 27-point defeat in the replay where his presence up front was missed.
Jason McCartney
Jason McCartney became a household name in Australia when he was a victim of the Bali Bombings in 2002, but he first earnt mainstream attention when he missed out on the 1999 AFL Grand Final due to suspension.
McCartney received a one game suspension for striking during the 1999 Preliminary Final with the Brisbane Lions and he never won an AFL Premiership medallion.
North Melbourne beat Carlton to win the AFL Grand Final, but McCartney received his moment in the sun when he recovered from his life-threatening injuries suffered in the Bali Bombings to return to the AFL.
Jason Cloke
Jason Cloke is now known as the brother of Travis Cloke, but he was once an AFL player in his own rights in the early 2000s.
Cloke was a key player for Collingwood in his rookie season in 2002, but he controversially missed the Grand Final after he received a two-match suspension for striking Tyson Edwards in the preliminary final against Adelaide.
Could Cloke have proven the difference in a very close Grand Final? Probably not.
Anthony Rocca
For the second year in a row, a Collingwood player decided that striking an opponent in a preliminary final was a good idea.
This time star forward Anthony Rocca decided to take a swing at a Port Adelaide player and wound up missing the Grand Final.
Without Rocca in the line up, Collingwood were beaten by a significantly larger margin than what they had lost to Brisbane by the year before.
Neville Crowe
Richmond legend Crowe helped the club to the 1967 first Grand Final appearance since 1944.
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old ruckman, he was suspended for four matches after being found guilty of striking John Nicholls in the third quarter of their 40-point semi-final victory.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was the first time Crowe had been reported in his career and that semi-final would be the final match of Crowe’s career as he announced his retirement at the end of that season.
NRL
Greg Pierce
Pierce certainly tops the list when it comes to punishment at the business end of the season. After being found guilty of a high shot in the semi-final, the Sharks captain received a suspension which would rub him out for two Grand Finals.
After the first match ended in an 11-11 draw, Pierce also had to watch the replay, which the Sea Eagles won 16-0.
Luke Ricketson
As the Roosters prepared for their fourth Grand Final in five years, they were forced to do it without one of their club stalwarts.
Ricketson was suspended for three matches after being found guilty of striking Nathan Fien in the preliminary final.
The attempted tribunal defence of the Roosters making a pact to not be intimidated was unique but ultimately unsuccessful.
Isaac Luke
The last NRL player to be suspended for a Grand Final was Souths Issac Luke who missed the end of the club’s premiership drought in 2014.
His replacement Apisai Koroisau would have been happy with his performance in the side’s 30-6 win over the Bulldogs.
Cameron Smith
Melbourne Storm’s controversial defensive strategies were a huge point of contention during the NRL Finals in 2008 after their captain was suspended for the Preliminary and Grand Final matches.
Smith tried to argue that the tackle happened too quickly for him to adjust his grip on Sam Thaiday, but the argument was rejected, and he was forced to miss the last two games of the season.
Melbourne’s demolition at the hands of Manly in the Grand Final featured plenty of shots of their captain looking forlorn on the sidelines powerless to help.
FOOTBALL
John Terry
Four years after slipping during what should have been the match winning penalty against Manchester United in Moscow, Terry was stuck on the sidelines as Chelsea claimed their sole Champions League title.
Having been sent off in the semi final victory over Barcelona, Terry picked up a ban for the final in Munich.
Joining him on the sidelines were Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and Ramires, all of whom were suspended due to yellow card accumulations.
Chelsea memorably wound up winning the final in a penalty shootout sparking John Terry’s full kit wanker celebrations post-match.
John Kosmina
It is not just players who have felt the pain of a suspension for a Grand Final with the then Adelaide United coach forced to sit in the stands for his side’s 6-0 hammering at the hands of Melbourne Victory.
While celebrating his side’s penalty shootout win over Newcastle to qualify for the Grand Final, Kosmina opted to send some obscenities in the direction of referee Matthew Breeze earning him a five-match touchline ban.