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Collingwood enforcer Brayden Maynard has been cleared for a controversial tackle on Carlton’s Matthew Owies, but teammate Lachie Schultz has been ruled out by the match review official.

Maynard came under scrutiny for what the referee that night deemed a dangerous tackle on Owies, whose head hit the ground, but MRO Michael Christian ruled the Magpie defender had no case to respond.

The league offered an explanation for why Maynard was cleared, a move it did not do after clearing Greater Western Sydney star Toby Greene for a similar tackle against Gold Coast.

Christian found that Owies had contributed to the downward force and that Maynard had not acted unreasonably in making such a tackle.

Owies, unharmed by the incident, took his free kick, which he converted into a goal, and the game ended.

“Maynard applied the tackle from behind on Owies, who leans forward during the tackle and raises his right arm, which led to Maynard falling with and on top of Owies,” the AFL said.

“The MRO found that Maynard did not throw, propel or twist Owies toward the ground with excessive force and, accordingly, the MRO did not consider Maynard’s actions to be unreasonable in the circumstances. “No further action was taken.”

Maynard was incredulous at the punishment.

“What? He jumped forward,” Maynard was heard saying to the referee.

Richmond great Matthew Richardson backed Maynard’s view on Seven’s broadcast.

“You can hear the Collingwood players saying ‘he lunged forward’ – I think he has a point,” Richardson said.

“I think he (Owies) was reasonably happy to go forward there… he knows he could have gotten one (a free kick there).”

Schultz will miss the Pies’ clash against West Coast on Sunday after being suspended for his rear-ending hit on former teammate Blake Acres. The blow was evaluated as intentional with high contact and low impact.

Schultz’s brain blackout occurred meters from a referee, who gave Acres a free kick.

Midfielders Scott Pendlebury and Adam Cerra can accept fines of $1,250 for making careless contact with a referee.