Bridge was dismissed after a farcical debacle late in the tense 0-0 draw between Sydney and Victory at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Saturday.

A freekick was awarded after Michael Beauchamp brought down his man on the edge of the box.

But the first freekick was ordered to be retaken when the referee judged that Sydney had broken too early, but replays showed the ball was actually in play.

On the retake, Vargas appeared to try to shove the Sydney wall out the way, pushing Bridge back. Bridge was said to have retaliated with an elbow to the defender's throat.

The incident sparked pushing and shoving among a huddle of players which saw Victory skipper Adrian Leijer crash to the ground as Bridge walked off the field following his red card.

“Mark was standing his ground trying to charge down a free kick when he was illegally taken out of the game by a Melbourne Victory player," said Sydney FC CEO Dirk Melton.

"From the footage that has been presented to the club, we don’t believe there was conclusive evidence to highlight there was contact to the throat of the player as Mark was trying to push him aside to take up his position and challenge for the ball."

He added: “This is an excellent opportunity for our club to draw a line in the sand and say we won’t dive.

"It is important for all in the game to acknowledge that Australians do not look favourably on anyone in sport who deliberately tries to milk a free kick or penalty.

"This is something that I believe we need to place greater scrutiny on in order for the game to be the best it can be in this country.”

Today Sydney FC said they were powerless to appeal against Bridge's imposed two match ban handed down by the match review panel under the current FFA rules.

Under the regulations, a player or club is not entitled to appeal unless the player receives a suspension over the minimum (two matches in Mark Bridge’s case) or it can prove that “exceptional circumstances” exist.

A player or club can not claim “exceptional circumstances” in relation to a decision taken by a Match Official during the match, the conduct of other players or officials, the significance of the match or the significance of any matches the player will miss, said the club.

Melton added: "We are disappointed that Mark will miss Saturday’s first home game of the season against Brisbane Roar and the trip to Adelaide, which are two very important games for the club.

“With the way the FFA Disciplinary Regulations are structured, there is no realistic avenue for Sydney FC to appeal the decision of the Match Review Panel or to state a case in Mark’s defence."