IN AN amazing sequel to one of the most explosive clashes on a football field in recent times, West Coast's Adam Selwood and Des Headland of Fremantle are free to play this weekend after last night's marathon sitting of the AFL Tribunal.

Selwood was cleared of a charge of using insulting language against Headland while the Docker midfielder — although found guilty of one of two charges of striking Selwood and also of wrestling him — escaped without penalty because of provocation under exceptional and compelling circumstances.

Selwood, who came to Melbourne for the hearing, read out a short statement after his hearing saying he had "been deeply hurt, offended and defamed by some of the allegations. It's been a harrowing week when my reputation has been smeared.

"This is the first opportunity I've had to outline my side of events. I want to reiterate that I've never said the words that have been attributed to me and that I never meant to offend Des or his family."

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett, who gave character evidence via videolink from Perth on Selwood's behalf, said the entire process had been "disgraceful" and mediation would have been a better way to deal with such an issue.

Nisbett said Selwood had been labelled a pedophile by several people, including Headland's father, and he would "talk to our legal people" about what action to take.

Despite Selwood being cleared of the charge, Headland was then able to give evidence in his own defence that he was provoked by what he alleged Selwood had said.

The Eagles player was not required to give evidence in the Headland case, which was heard separately.

The Selwood case took well over two hours to decide and the Headland case ran for 90 minutes.

Headland, who broke down in tears when the tribunal delivered its verdict, said afterwards: "It's a relief for me and my family. What has been said has been said … I'm just looking forward to getting out there and playing against Melbourne," he said.

The three-man tribunal panel of Wayne Schimmelbusch, Emmett Dunne and Richard Loveridge found that there was insufficient evidence to sustain the charge on the balance of probabilities.

Headland gave evidence that a bout of sledging between the two had reached a crescendo when Selwood had taken note of a tattoo on his arm and said: "I f---ed her last night."

Headland said he then punched Selwood in the stomach before informing him that the female depicted was his six-year-old daughter. Selwood then said she was a "slut", Headland claimed, and that he had "f---ed her all night".

Selwood's version was that he had uttered no specific remark before the first blow (for which Headland was not reported) and that when he recovered his breath from the initial blow he had said: "What's that shit on your arm? I was with a girl like that the other night."

The panel took not much more than five minutes to reach its conclusion. Essentially, despite some evidence from Fremantle veteran Peter Bell and field umpire Stuart Wenn that supported elements of Headland's evidence, the case turned on one man's word against another.

Headland's version was simpler, if only in the light of his furious reaction to Selwood's alleged remarks. He told a television reporter after the game that he would kill Selwood if he repeated the remarks.

Bell told the tribunal that Headland had said to him as they sat on the interchange bench soon after the incident: "Belly, he called my daughter a slut."

Bell said he approached Selwood, his opponent, before the start of the final term and said it was a pretty low act to say something like that about someone's six-year-old daughter. He said Selwood replied: "It was in the heat of the moment."

Selwood denied making that comment to Bell but said he apologised through the Fremantle veteran because he realised after the event that Headland had taken the comments to refer to his daughter and was clearly furious.

Wenn told the tribunal that he did not hear the entire exchange between the players but did hear Headland say something like "don't talk about my six-year-old daughter like that".

Headland did not raise the issue when Wenn reported him, saying only "What for?" and then, after being told, "bullshit". He did not mention the alleged remarks about his daughter until the start of the last quarter.

Despite the outcome of the first case, Headland again led evidence of his version of Selwood's remarks in his own hearing.

Bell gave evidence of the importance his teammate placed on family, saying it "was the most important thing in his life. Football is a distant second".

Fremantle football operations manager Robert Shaw, who was called from the coach's box to the dugout on Saturday to try to calm Headland, told the tribunal the player was "upset, emotional, passionate", and that it took several people to restrain him from going to the West Coast dugout to remonstrate further with Selwood.

The tribunal jury accepted the contention of Fremantle counsel Grant Donaldson, SC, that Headland had recourse to a defence of provocation because of an "insult liable to deprive a person of their self-control".

AT THE TRIBUNAL

JOSH CARR (Fremantle)
Striking Daniel Chick
cleared

ADAM SELWOOD (W Coast)
Insulting language
cleared

DES HEADLAND (Fremantle) Striking Selwood
guilty, no penalty

DES HEADLAND (Fremantle)
Striking Selwood
not guilty

DES HEADLAND (Fremantle)
Wrestling Selwood
guilty, no penalty