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Luke Hodge and a neurosurgeon have combined to free Brisbane's Jarrod Berry to play in Friday's AFL preliminary final against Geelong.

The talented Lion's one-match suspension was dismissed in Tuesday night's tribunal hearing, Berry's team successfully arguing his hand contact with Melbourne's Clayton Oliver's face during their heated scuffle was justifiable and not intentional.

Berry's availability is a huge boost for the Lions, who are aiming for their first final in 18 years, given the 24-year-old's starring role in their win over the Demons.

Brisbane called on triple-premiership Hawthorn captain Hodge and traumatic brain injury specialist Damian Amato as witnesses during a hearing that stretched three hours.

Hodge, who played with Berry during a two-season stint in Brisbane, vouched for his character while Amato argued he had been placed in a "very vulnerable" position by Oliver.

The doctor believed, contrary to AFL counsel Nick Pane's assertions, Berry's actions weren't a deliberate rake of Oliver's face and rather "instinctual, flailing movements" to protect himself.

Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson and the panel agreed, Gleeson summarising Berry "was under threat" and it was "a natural human reaction".

He said the tribunal weren't satisfied Berry knew or could feel where Oliver's face and eyes were.

He also said Oliver's arm position meant Berry's arm movement was restricted and "limited the ability to do much more".

Berry was grilled by Pane, standing firm when it was put to him that he had dragged Oliver to the ground, had a clear view of his opponent's face and had targeted his eyes.

Asked why he didn't protest against Oliver's rough treatment to the umpires, Berry said he "wasn't trying to get a free kick".

There were some awkward moments in the online hearing, Lions' counsel Adrian Anderson referring to Berry as 'Jacob' multiple times.

Anderson also argued Berry was acting in self defence to avoid possible pressure on his airway and restriction of oxygen, while at the same time attempting not to call Oliver's conduct into question.

Berry, who said he had never been reported or suspended at any level of football, also showed the tribunal his "battered" ring finger he said he'd dislocated more than 100 times in an attempt to show his hand movements weren't targeting Oliver's eyes.

Anderson closed by comparing the incident to Adelaide veteran Rory Sloane's successful downgrade of a similar incident earlier in the year.

He said unlike Sloane, Berry's arm movement was restricted and his ability to see his opponent's face severely impaired.

© AAP 2022

Plans for commemorations of the life of Queen Elizabeth II during a national day of mourning will be on the agenda when national cabinet meets.

Anthony Albanese will on Wednesday hold talks with state and territory leaders, where plans for the national day of mourning will be discussed.

The day of mourning, a one-off public holiday, will be held on September 22, after the prime minister returns from the Queen's state funeral in London.

States and territories hold their own commemorations on the day, alongside the national memorial service at Parliament House.

They will also be in charge of what businesses and services would be open on the public holiday.

"My priority has been getting these details in place, organising the logistics which are required to make sure that we give appropriate respect next Thursday as well for the national day of mourning," Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"I will be meeting with the state and territory leaders over the next couple of days. As well, we will have a national cabinet phone hook up."

While business groups and medical bodies have expressed concern over the short notice for the public holiday, Mr Albanese earlier on Tuesday said services would still be able to operate.

"There'll be an enormous amount of activity on that day, I should imagine, just as there is on days like Boxing Day or on Australia Day, which are both public holidays as well," he told Sydney radio 2GB.

"This isn't a declaration that no one's allowed to do anything on Thursday, September 22."

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said people booked for surgery on the day should assume it will proceed unless they are contacted by their hospital.

In South Australia, retail trading hours will be similar to Anzac Day, which means shops must stay closed until midday as a mark of respect.

"Given the unavoidably late notice of this decision, there will be some disruption for some South Australians," Premier Peter Malinauskas said in a statement.

Larger shops in Adelaide and the suburbs will be able to open from 12pm to 9pm and workers will receive public holiday penalty rates, in accordance with employment agreements. SA schools and banks will be closed.

In Victoria, the day will be a normal trading day, as is the case for Grand Final Friday, Boxing Day and other public holidays.

"Employers and employees seeking information about their rights and responsibilities regarding public holidays should seek advice from their business organisations or relevant unions," the government said.

Queensland parliament will resume on Thursday for state legislation to allow for the public holiday to be enacted.

The state government said arrangements would be similar to those in place on Australia Day, with supermarkets, cafes and other retailers able to open.

In Western Australia, public holiday trading hours will apply, with general retail stores able to trade between 11am and 5pm.

There will be no restrictions on trade in Tasmania, but businesses will still be required to comply with penalty rate arrangements.

© AAP 2022

Another summer of heavy rainfall and humid, sticky nights is ahead for much of Australia as forecasters declare a rare third consecutive La Nina weather event.

The outlook for the rest of 2022 has been raised to an established La Nina, according to atmospheric and oceanic indicators that inform the Bureau of Meteorology's La Nina alert system, the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

The BOM observed cooling in the central tropical Pacific Ocean in recent months, along with trade wind strength and equatorial cloudiness - all typical La Nina indicators.

It comes after months of reports of a likely third appearance of the weather pattern, which leads to heavier-than-usual rainfall, and cooler temperatures across the north and east coasts.

La Nina conditions were blamed for devastating flooding in southeast Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers this year.

"Models indicate this La Nina event may peak during the spring and return to neutral conditions early in 2023," the BOM said.

NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York has urged people to prepare, saying a third La Nina presents unique challenges and risks.

"There is already wet soil, high rivers and full dams right across our state, and with more rain on the horizon comes the very real possibility of flooding,'' she said.

The threat of another major flood event in 2022 comes after the SES notched its busiest 12 months on record in the previous financial year.

In Brisbane, the city council has announced free sandbags for residents, which will be available to be picked up on weekends for the next three weeks.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the standard stockpile has already been tripled to 150,000 bags.

Monash University climate extremes centre expert Kimberley Reid echoed the calls to prepare.

"I would bet my bottom dollar that there will be more flooding in eastern Australia in the next six months," Dr Reid said.

She said oceanic weather patterns point to a wet spring, and already swollen rivers and dams will flood from any significant rainfall.

Three consecutive years of La Nina is an unusual event, though Dr Reid says it is not unprecedented.

"Our understanding of how often this occurs is limited by the lack of historical observations over the ocean," she said.

Dr Reid said a lack of data from before 1950 makes it hard to observe any trends.

The BOM statement added that climate change is continuing to influence climates locally and around the world, with Australia's temperatures warming by about 1.47 degrees for the 1910-2020 period.

The country's south has experienced an overall 10-20 per cent reduction in cool-season rainfall in recent decades.

There has also been a trend towards high-intensity rainfall events that occur over a short period of time, especially in northern Australia.

© AAP 2022