Sydney onballer Paul Williams has successfully contested a wrestling charge at the AFL tribunal, saving himself $1200 and maintaining a solid playing record.

Williams decided to contest the charge rather than accepting a $900 fine for pleading guilty.

Had the tribunal agreed with the original match review panel finding, he would have been up for an extra $300.

Moments before the alleged wrestle, Kangaroos opponent Brady Rawlings had struck Williams, drawing blood.

On Monday Rawlings accepted a three-match penalty for the strike.

Williams told the tribunal he was trying to stop Rawlings hit him again.

"I think it was just my human instinct to hold him down because I knew I'd copped a good one and I didn't want to get another one," Williams said.

"I knew I'd sustained a pretty decent cut, there was blood dripping on Brady as well. So I just wanted to get off and get it fixed up.

"There were two times when I remember trying to get off, but I kept getting pushed down."

The only other blemish on Williams' 277-game AFL career was when he pleaded guilty to wrestling in 1996, while he was at Collingwood.

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