Brownlow medal hopes over as Geelong Cats' Patrick Dangerfield cops one-match suspension for rough conduct charge

Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield is officially out of the running for the Brownlow Medal, after accepting a one match ban from the AFL tribunal.

Dangerfield was charged with rough conduct on Matthew Kreuzer following an incident in the Cats’ win over Carlton that left Kreuzer with concussion.

Challenging the ban would have exposed Dangerfield to a potential two match ban, which would have ruled him out for crucial matches against both Sydney and Richmond.

"After seeking independent advice, the club has decided to accept the penalty handed down to Pat by the match review panel," Geelong’s general manager of football, Steve Hocking, said.

"The club reviewed all possibilities around the case in coming to this decision. We respect the fact that the match review panel has a challenging and difficult role and has to operate under high scrutiny.

"While there has been a lot of debate around Pat’s eligibility for the Brownlow Medal, Pat and the club have at all times remained focussed on what is best for the team as we head towards to last part of the season."

Richmond star Dustin Martin is now the overwhelming favourite to take out the Brownlow.