Forrest coach Justin Bliss says his three-week suspension will not affect the top side’s form as it prepares for finals.

FORREST playing coach Justin Bliss says his three-match suspension will have no affect on the team’s momentum heading into Colac district football finals.

Bliss will miss the Lions’ next three games after a Football Geelong tribunal found him guilty of kicking South Colac runner Adam Downard during Forrest’s round 14 win.

He will return for Forrest’s final-round clash against Irrewarra-Beeac.

The hard-nut midfielder said he accepted the punishment.

“It was a little bit stiff for what it was, I pushed the runner off with my foot but they deem forceful contact with the foot as a kick,” he said.

“I’m told kicking offences can get upwards of six to seven weeks so I’ll cop it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We’ve spoken to the boys about discipline and hopefully this is a bit of a wake-up call.”

Bliss’s case was one of two at Tuesday night’s tribunal meeting with Apollo Bay’s Marty White set to miss tomorrow’s clash with Western Eagles.

White failed in his appeal of a one-match ban offer for striking Otway Districts’ Steve Daniels last round.

Bliss said he would focus on the positives from the incident, and ensure the Lions now turned their attention to tomorrow’s clash with in-form Birregurra.

“Absolutely we’ll put it behind us, we’ve got games to win and hopefully finals, it’s just a little hurdle, it’s the end result that we want,” he said.

“The good news is it won’t keep me out until finals so I’ll spend the next few weeks keeping myself fit as a fiddle and give other guys a chance to come into the side.

“It will give me a chance to see the team from the sidelines as well, and not rely on the bench guys while I’m out on the field.”

Forward Scott Wakeman will return as a straight swap for Bliss in tomorrow’s clash at Forrest Recreation Reserve while key position player Damien Cerni is also likely to return.

“This weekend is a danger game and it’s the last of our four-week bracket against the top-five sides,” Bliss said.

“Birre has got form so we’ll be wary, and they’ve picked up a few mature players in Alan Alford and Paul Cass so we’ll have to be on our game,” he said.