Explained: Why Tom Barrass will miss West Coast Eagles' clash against Gold Coast Suns

The West Coast Eagles will be without key defender Tom Barrass when they take on Gold Coast Suns on Sunday, April 28. Barrass was slapped with a one-match suspension by the AFL tribunal for rough conduct after dangerously tackling forward Michael Walters in last Saturday's Western Derby victory over Fremantle Dockers.

The match review officer deemed the incident, which took place in the last quarter a careless conduct. West Coast appealed to have the ban rescinded but lost the appeal, making him unavailable for the Eagle's Round 7 game.

The Eagles appealed for the charges against Barrass to be graded as low, which would have meant a fine for the defender rather than a suspension. They attempted to use the 'good bloke' arguement to plead his case, referencing his wife, two daughters and philanthropic gestures.

The club also presented a teammate and former club chairman, Russell Gibbs, as character references. Barrass also informed the tribunal he checked on Walters multiple times after the incident.

However, the prosecutor reiterated how dangerous the tackle was and could have led to a serious injury to Walters. After hours of deliberation, the tribunal concluded that the one-match suspension of Tom Barrass be upheld.

West Coast Eagles will hope to secure a third consecutive AFL win without Tom Barrass

The West Coast Eagles will hope to secure a win this weekend without Tom Barrass. The 28-year-old defender will miss his side's upcoming game against Gold Coast Suns.

The Eagles are on a good run of form, winning their last two AFL matches. However, they started the season with four consecutive losses against Port Adelaide, GWS Giants, Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans.

They defeated the Richmond Tigers in Round 5 and were victorious in the Round 6 Western Derby against Fremantle Dockers. That being said, it is left to be seen if they can make it three wins in a row without Barrass.

​