Follow The Age Sport on Twitter

Essendon's Courtenay Dempsey was suspended for four weeks on Tuesday night, for his tackle on Brett Deledio at the weekend.

It was one of the more interesting cases the jury has considered this season, with Dempsey's representative arguing his punishment should be reduced because he had already suffered as a result of the incident - the player was allegedly racial abused online.

But 2015 was also the year where a dental specialist was called to argue West Coast's Chris Masten could have "involuntarily" bitten Nick Suban. In another case, involving Carlton's Chris Yarran, the jury was asked to consider whether a phantom head-butt provoked a left hook.

Here are some of the tribunal's more interesting and significant cases from this year.

Compare and contrast: Did the players deserve the sentences they got?  Leave your comments below.

Courtenay Dempsey, round 22

The out-of-contract Bomber's career is in doubt after his four-week suspension for this dangerous tackle. Advocate Adrian Anderson argued he should have only copped two weeks, because he had an otherwise clean record, was remorseful, and had already suffered from racial abuse during the week. He got four.

Chris Masten, round 20

Biting is one of the most reviled offences in sport, so little wonder West Coast threw everything at defending Masten against the charge. Accused of biting Fremantle's Nick Suban, the Eagles' advocate called Perth specialist dental surgeon Robert Delcanho, who told the jury humans had a protective reflex where, if the jaw was opened suddenly, it may automatically close to stop it from over extending. Masten argued he was gagging on Suban's arm. The jury was not buying it - they suspended him for two weeks.

Chris Yarran, round 3

The Carlton flanker said he thought Essendon's Paul Chapman's head had made contact with his chin, intensifying their push and shove. It was then that he punched Chapman in the face. But when the footage was screened at the tribunal hearing, Yarran was forced to admit the Bomber probably did not head-butt him. Yarran got three weeks.

Bryce Gibbs, round 12

The Carlton midfielder lodged an early guilty plea for this sling tackle on Port Adelaide's Robbie Gray and was suspended for two weeks. Whether or not the punishment was fair became a subject of debate that week, with North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey arguing if players were banned for that type of tackle, AFL football would become "unrecognisable".

Jay Schulz, round 14

Gibbs was not the only person left scratching his head about why Port Adelaide's Jay Schulz escaped suspension for this very similar tackle on Sydney's Ted Richards.  

I'm confused...— Bryce Gibbs (@BGibbsy4) July 6, 2015

Alex Silvagni, round 20

Masten was not the only player suspended after the fiery western derby. Silvagni appeared to raise his elbow as he ran towards Jamie Cripps behind the play, hitting him in the jaw. His representative argued the Fremantle player was running towards a potential marking contest when Cripps got in his way, but he still got four weeks.

Nat Fyfe, round 21

The Fremantle star escaped sanctions for this bump on North Melbourne's Ben Jacobs. The AFL's Match Review Panel ruled the incident was "insufficient" to warrant a report. Fyfe had already copped two fines in 2015 for low-level offences - one more would have seen him suspended and knocked out of the Brownlow Medal race.