Tom Lynch's rough conduct charge has been dismissed by the AFL Tribunal.

Lynch was cited for contact with Western Bulldogs player Alex Keath in the opening term of Saturday’s five-point Round 4 loss, which saw the Bulldogs defender subbed out of the match.

The offence was initially graded as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.

The AFL argued Richmond's forward made a decision to "bump", but Lynch said he was simply bracing for contact.

Lynch said he had his eyes on the ball and once he realised he misjudged the flight of it, rotated his body to brace for contact.

"What possible time did Lynch have to make that decision to bump someone?," his counsel Sam Tovey asked.

"Keath moves some distance laterally. Lynch is fixated on the ball. Lynch is faced with an extremely difficult situation – take the inevitable front-on contact from Keath or turn and brace for that impact?

"Tom Lynch hasn't chosen this situation – it's a situation that came to him that was completely unexpected."

After a relatively short deliberation, Tribunal chairman Gleeson sided with Lynch, saying he did not bump or engage in rough conduct.

"We find that Lynch intended to fly for the mark, realised he had misjudged it, saw a Bulldogs player in his peripheral vision and rotated and braced for contact.

"Lynch did not have clenched fists, did not follow through with force and tends to pull his body in in a way consistent with a brace for contact and not a bump."

"He did not bump and he did not engage in rough conduct," Gleeson said.

Regardless of the decision, Lynch is set to miss the next two months after fracturing his foot in Saturday's match.