BRISBANE star Eric Hipwood has avoided suspension for pushing Western Bulldogs opponent Ryan Gardner into the path of umpire Jacob Mollison.
Sent straight to the Tribunal after Gardner and Mollison made heavy contact in Brisbane's win against the Bulldogs, the jury found Hipwood guilty of careless contact with an umpire but only imposed a $2500 fine.
The AFL had pushed for a two-game ban, arguing he'd intentionally pushed Gardner into the path of the umpire.
But Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson, who said the incident was "quite troubling" when viewed from certain angles, said Hipwood's carelessness was not high.