The clause that may save Lions ace for AFL grand final

The AFL tribunal chairman was blunt: the 'good bloke' clause doesn't exist.

Instead, tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson KC turned to a fresh provision in the AFL's laws, centred on compelling and exceptional circumstances.

It's the clause that could save Brisbane's Lachie Neale from being suspended for Saturday's grand final.

The Lions will challenge Neale's one-game suspension for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan in last Saturday night's preliminary final.

Neale's gut punch on Ginnivan was graded intentional conduct, medium impact and body contact.

And precedents this season have resulted in one-game bans to numerous players - the most recent just last week, when Adelaide's Max Michalanney was suspended for delivering an off-the-ball gut punch.

But what may allow Neale, a dual Brownlow medallist to play in the premiership decider is the clause that saved Collingwood legend Scott Pendlebury from suspension in March.

'Exceptional and compelling circumstances' is certain to be the anchor of Brisbane's argument at Tuesday night's tribunal hearing.

The Magpie great was charged with rough conduct for a bump on Adelaide's Josh Worrell.

His proposed one-match suspension was downgraded to a $3000 fine with Gleeson enacting the 'compelling and exceptional circumstances' clause.

Pendlebury's advocate Myles Tehan successfully argued the ex-Pies captain "stands in a class of his own", having never previously been before the tribunal in a 21-year AFL career.

"It's frankly difficult to imagine how it could not constitute an exceptional and compelling circumstance (to avoid a ban)," Tehan told the hearing.

"I should say this is not by any means a good bloke clause or a get of jail free card or anything of that nature."

"I might add, it never has been. It's misreported as being something to that effect from time to time," Gleeson said.