Geelong have confirmed they will not challenge Patrick Dangerfield's one-game AFL ban, meaning he is ineligible for this year's Brownlow Medal.
The Geelong star would have risked a two-game ban had he challenged his rough conduct charge at the tribunal and lost.
Dangerfield, who won his first Brownlow last year, was the favourite to win the medal again. His suspension means Richmond midfielder Dustin Martin is now the outright favourite.
The Cats sought legal advice before accepting Dangerfield's ban.
"The club reviewed all possibilities around the case in coming to this decision," Cats football manager Steve Hocking said in a statement.
"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 the last part of the season."
No player has won back-to-back Brownlows since St Kilda star Robert Harvey in 1997-98.
Dangerfield will miss the second-placed Cats' match against sixth-placed Sydney Swans at Simonds Stadium on Friday.
Had the Cats taken the case to the tribunal and lost, Dangerfield would likely have received a two-match suspension.
That would also have put him out of action for the round-21 home game against Richmond, who are fourth.
If Dangerfield polls the most votes in this year's Brownlow count, he will become the fourth player to miss out on the medal because of suspension.
North Melbourne ruck-forward Corey McKernan would have shared the award in 1996 with James Hird and Michael Voss, but missed out because of suspension.
The following year, Western Bulldogs key forward Chris Grant polled one more vote than Robert Harvey but missed out because of a controversial striking suspension.
And Essendon captain Jobe Watson won the medal outright in 2012, only for the AFL to strip him of the Brownlow four years later because of his doping ban. Sam Mitchell, who played for Hawthorn in 2012, and Richmond captain Trent Cotchin were awarded retrospective Brownlows last November after finishing four votes behind Watson in the count.
Also on Tuesday, Sydney star Lance Franklin accepted his $Aus1500 fine for making contact with Luke Hodge's face.
And Collingwood onballer Taylor Adams has taken a $Aus1000 fine for rough conduct.