Paul Galvin must take his case to the Disputes Resolution Authority if he is to feature again for Kerry this season after the latest appeal against his six-month ban was rejected last night.
A hearing of the Central Appeal's Committee (CAC) upheld the 24-week suspension originally imposed on the Kerry captain, leaving Galvin frozen out for the remainder of the championship campaign.
In a brief statement released this afternoon, the GAA confirmed that Galvin's punishment for slapping the notebook from referee Paddy Russell's hands and verbally abusing linesman Michael Meade will stand, as will Paul Finlay's 8-week ban for abusive conduct towards match officials.
"At a meeting of the Central Appeal's Committee held in Croke Park last night appeals from Paul Finlay (Monaghan) and Paul Galvin (Kerry) were heard," it explained. "The decision of the Central Hearing's Committee in the matters was upheld,"
Galvin, who embarked on the campaign poised to lead Kerry to a third successive All-Ireland, had been seeking to have the ban halved. A reduction to a 12-week suspension would see him return in time for the All-Ireland final on September 21st - assuming, of course, the defending champions make it that far.
The final route open to him now is to request a hearing of the DRA, the GAA's independent arbitration tribunal.
Finlay's eight-week ban followed his verbal abuse directed at Longford referee Derek Fahy during Monaghan's defeat at the hands of Fermanagh at the end of May. The suspension will see him miss Monaghan's first-round qualifier on July 19th.