The AFL asked match review panel member Nathan Burke not to adjudicate on the charge against Fremantle's Nat Fyfe on Monday because of public comments Burke had made earlier about the incident.

Burke, a former St Kilda star and now paid media commentator, is one of four members of the panel who are rostered on each Monday – along with Michael Christian, Luke Ball and Brad Sewell. Only three members rule on each specific incident.

AFL football operations manager Mark Evans made sure Burke did not deliberate on the match-day report against Fyfe for forceful front-on contact after Burke gave an honest assessment on ABC radio of how the case might be viewed by the panel. This was before panel members made their ruling on Monday.

"So it is likely front-on contact, it will be rough conduct," Burke told the ABC about the incident in which Fyfe made contact with North Melbourne run-with midfielder Ben Jacobs at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

"We'll look if he was contesting the ball — there are alternative ways to contest the ball. We'll look at the level of impact. I'm pretty sure intentional [conduct] is off the table," he said.

"I don't want to talk too soon, but it would be [regarded as] accidental."

Later on Monday, Fyfe was cleared when the other three members of the panel deemed he had made "incidental" contact with "insufficient" force to constitute an offence.

Evans said Burke's comments were inappropriate; acknowledging that panel members could sometimes speak publicly about protocols, but never about their intentions before a case.

"It just seemed like the most prudent course of action, given we had three other panel members available to judge that specific incident," Evans said.

"Nathan agreed it was not appropriate that he deliberated on that incident given he had made public comment on how that assessment might play out earlier in the day."

Evans said Burke's actions on Monday would not prevent him from serving on the panel.

The Fyfe case was a major talking point on Monday. Had the panel sanctioned the Dockers star – the current Brownlow Medal favourite – with a third low-level offence, his previous two fines for tripping and rough conduct this year would have made him ineligible to win the medal.