SYDNEY coach Paul Roos yesterday told Adam Goodes to modify his game to make sure the Swans were not missing their key player for a match or more later in the season.

Goodes yesterday pleaded guilty to a rough-conduct charge against West Coast's Adam Selwood and, because he had no carry-over points, is free to play against St Kilda at the SCG on Saturday night.

But the dual Brownlow medallist's early plea means he now has 93.75 carry-over points for 12 months, meaning any similar infringements will sideline him for a minimum of one match, which prompted Roos to speak to the 28-year-old.

"It was an inappropriate action based on what we know about footy," Roos said, "and a week (suspension) would have been an appropriate penalty in my opinion, so we were bracing to have him out for a week, but, given the circumstances as they are with the tribunal, he'll play this week.

"I think we're a pretty disciplined side and we generally do things pretty well. Every now and then, we have something we don't like as a club and ourselves and obviously Adam was unhappy about it himself, and hopefully, he doesn't do it again."

But the panel's decision did not sit well with former West Coast premiership forward Karl Langdon, who described Goodes' bump as a "dog act".

"He's the luckiest bloke in Australia," Langdon said. "It was far worse than negligent conduct and I reckon it was a dog act, just like Barry Hall and Daniel Kerr's were dog acts earlier in the year.

"It absolutely stinks and if (Robert) Murphy and (Beau) Waters are sitting on the sidelines, Adam Goodes should be, too."

The Eagles were also privately seething that Selwood received the same penalty as Goodes after being found guilty of striking Amon Buchanan to the stomach. Selwood had pleaded not guilty to the charge of intentional conduct with low impact but had his case rejected by the tribunal. Despite this, he is free to play.

It was the third time Goodes had seemed likely to miss a game through suspension in the past 14 months, but each time he has been cleared.

Last year, the Swans argued successfully for a downgrading of his charge and like this year, although guilty, he didn't miss a match. Then, earlier this season, he fought a charge at the tribunal and avoided a one-match ban.

It has brought howls from some that Goodes is, as Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews said this year, a "protected species". But Roos disagreed. "We felt it would be 100 and something points, and originally, we thought he had those carry-over points from last year, so we were bracing ourselves for the fact that he'd be out for a week …" Roos said.

Collingwood's Travis Cloke will be in the clear to take on Carlton this weekend if he takes an early plea offer for the misconduct charge of headbutting Melbourne's Matthew Warnock during the second quarter on Monday. The reprimand would add 93.75 points towards his future record.

Cloke and Magpie skipper Scott Burns were fined $1200 and $2100 for their involvement in a melee, while Melbourne's Lynden Dunn was also fined $1200. For the wrestle involving Collingwood's Paul Medhurst and the Demons' Clint Bartram, both were fined $900 provided they accept an early plea.

With WEST AUSTRALIAN