Launceston have made a last-ditch bid to save Cody Thorp from missing Sunday's State League grand final.
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The Blues' premiership defence was dealt a huge blow when the match review panel handed Thorp a two-game ban having assessed an incident in Sunday's preliminary final against Clarence at Windsor Park.
He had been reported for engaging in rough conduct against Lachlan Borsboom on the quarter-time siren.
Footage on the TSL YouTube livestream showed the incident at the city end of the ground left Borsboom flat out on the turf and sparked heated scenes involving about half the players.
Clarence's Jack Preshaw confronted Thorp who appeared to be reported as Borsboom got to his feet rubbing the back of his neck.
The panel determined that the action be graded as a "classifiable offence" and deemed intentional with low impact and high contact.
Thorp had until 8pm on Tuesday to reduce the ban to one match with a guilty plea, although this would still have involved him missing the grand final against North Launceston at UTAS Stadium.
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His only chance of playing was to challenge the decision and AFL Tasmania confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that he had done this. The case will be decided by a tribunal at 6pm on Wednesday.
A 197-centimetre, 105-kilogram ruckman, Thorp has been operating as back-up to Joe Groenewegen this season.
Also playing as a key forward, he has been instrumental to brother Mitch's minor premiership-winning side and was also named in the TSL team of the year.
The siblings were reunited in the statewide competition at the start of this season, eight years after winning a flag together at South Launceston.
Thorp last played TSL for Western Storm in 2015 before sitting out 2016 and joining Longford alongside middle brother Beau in 2017.
His six-year journey back to the State League has also taken in two heart surgeries, professional kickboxing, a 2018 QFA flag with Maroochydore and a two-year break from footy in 2019 and 2020.
The Blues are the reigning premiers having beaten their cross-city rivals in last season's grand final.
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
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