MELBOURNE forward Jacob van Rooyen has had his three-match suspension upheld by the AFL Appeals Board on Thursday night.

The Demon forward was sanctioned for high contact on Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir during a marking contest in Saturday night’s Round 23 clash.

The club initially challenged the Match Review Officer’s grading of the incident as careless conduct, high impact and severe impact. That grading was upheld by the Tribunal before Melbourne appealed the decision to the AFL Appeals Board.

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RD 23 | Fireworks erupt after Dee’s stray arm floors milestone man

Jacob van Rooyen’s late contact on Aliir Aliir ignites a scuffle before the Power defender is helped from the field