WEST Adelaide defender Adam Hartlett has been suspended for three weeks for misconduct following a physical altercation with Sturt fan Luke Grant during Saturday’s SANFL match at Richmond Oval.

Hartlett and Grant clashed as the player went to retrieve the ball behind the goals during the third quarter of the match.

Grant had run down to the fence line to abuse him.

The tribunal accepted Hartlett’s testimony that he did not intend to make contact with Grant but but had pushed a cyclone fence in between the pair in attempt to scare the supporter, who was abusing him.

Hartlett said the fence had more give in it than he expected which caused the wire to strike Grant. The tribunal accepted this.

Hartlett said Grant had verbally threatened him and his family which caused his reaction.

Hartlett submitted to the tribunal that Grant told him:

“I’m going to bash you Hartlett, you f***in’ dog.”

He also said members of Sturt’s cheer squad told him they wanted to meet him in the carpark after the match.

A member of the cheer squad, not Grant, was evicted at three-quarter time, over another incident.

Weslo staff said that supporters had approached Hartlett and threatened him near the players’ huddle.

media_camera Eagle's footballer Leigh Treeby grapples with Luke Grant at Woodville Oval in 2010.

Grant, who also had a physical altercation with Eagles player Leigh Treeby in 2010, was interviewed during the hearing.

He denied threatening Hartlett, claiming he approached him and said “you are a d***head, Hartlett, you are an absolute d***head”.

Grant said he believed Hartlett had looked at him and deliberately struck at him with a clenched fist.

He said he sustained a minor cut inside his lip and a bump on the nose.

A Weslo security staff member who witnessed the incident also believed Hartlett used a clenched fist.

Vision of the incident appears to show Hartlett’s hands were open and the tribunal accepted this.

The tribunal found that the contact between Hartlett and Grant was high, but of low impact.

They upgraded the impact to “medium” on account of the fact grant was a spectator.

Hartlett’s tribunal delegate, Graeme Garton, told the tribunal Grant’s abuse was over and above what a player should have to receive during a match.

The tribunal told Hartlett that Grant’s abuse did not excuse his decision to strike at the fence, which they said was dangerous.

Hartlett was given 99 carry over points over the incident.

He will be eligible to return for West’s final minor round match.