North Melbourne's finals campaign could be hit with a major blow with talisman Brent Harvey facing his second costly late-season visit to the tribunal in as many years after he was caught delivering an apparent bodyslam and forearm to the throat of Western Bulldogs tagger Liam Picken.
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While North Melbourne's Daniel Wells and Fremantle's Nat Fyfe are each facing a stint on the sidelines before the finals for striking incidents - Fyfe will not play before the finals unless he successfully challenges the two-match ban - it is the misconduct charge levelled at Wells' teammate Harvey by the match review panel which has potentially greater implications.
The veteran has, like Hawthorn's Brian Lake last month, been referred directly to the tribunal for what the panel deemed to be an act of serious misconduct.
In an off-the-ball wrestle in Sunday's match Harvey is seen to grab Picken, who was behind him, and in a martial arts-type move flipped him over his back and on to the turf. Harvey then dropped his body onto the Bulldog, who has a reputation for tight checking, landing with his right forearm across his throat.
If Harvey is found guilty on Tuesday evening any penalty imposed would theoretically be inflated by 40 per cent because of his bad record, although the tribunal jury has the discretion to ignore that. Harvey's poor record is a result of being suspended for a total of six matches for two striking incidents in the Kangaroos' past finals appearance, its elimination-final thrashing away to West Coast in 2012.
Conjecture about Fyfe's ineligibility to win the Brownlow Medal, for a contentious two-match suspension he accepted in round two, is set to be muffled because of a striking charge against Hawthorn's Jordan Lewis which has resulted in an offer of a two-match ban which. The Dockers' would not risk Fyfe missing a third match if they challenged the decision at the tribunal.
The Fyfe incident occurred as fellow midfielder Lewis ran towards the wing, and temporarily forced the Hawks players to leave the ground for a medical examination. The panel determined the impact from Fyfe to Lewis was above the shoulders, thus attracting the bigger penalty for high contact, as well as intentional and of low impact.
The Docker's base penalty was inflated by 20 per cent and also by 6.24 carry-over points. Those two factors will keep the penalty just above two matches, even with a guilty plea.
While Fyfe has been penalised for his poor record Wells has benefited from his.
Wells has been charged with two incidents against Western Bulldogs' Shaun Higgins. Because of his good record the base ban of two matches can be reduced just within the two-match threshold, to one match and 96.87 carry-over points, with a guilty plea.
Wells' fate is particularly important to the Kangaroos, as he has only just returned from a long-term foot injury and his presence in their team for at least one of their last two home-and-away matches is almost as important from a fitness perspective as from a personal-contribution perspective.
The first incident involving Wells involved him swinging his arm into the midriff of the Bulldogs' Higgins. It triggered a penalty of 125 points which can be reduced to 70.31 with a guilty plea.
The second incident, which occurred in the final quarter, involved Higgins preparing to handball and then attempting to baulk the oncoming Wells, who then collided with him. The Kangaroo's right shoulder made contact to the chin of Higgins, and forced him from the ground in the last quarter. It was graded negligent conduct, medium impact and high contact, with the penalty of 225 points able to be reduced to 126.56.
If the Kangaroos accept both penalties they can reduce Wells' combined penalty from 262.5 points to 196.87. If they challenge the decision they risk losing Wells not only for this weekend's match against Adelaide in Hobart but also their last home-and-away match, against Melbourne.
Among the financial penalties offered for the week, Geelong's Mathew Stokes and Brisbane's Pearce Hanley can each accept $900 fines for negligent umpire contact.
The Bulldogs' Jordan Roughead and Mark Austin and the Kangaroos' Lindsay Thomas and Aaron Black have all been charged with engaging in a melee. All bar Roughead can accept $1200 fines, with the key defender facing a $2100 fine, or $2800 if he challenges the decision, because it was his second offence.
MATCH REVIEW PANEL - ROUND 21
Brent Harvey (NM) misconduct to Liam Picken (WB): Directly referred to tribunal.
Daniel Wells (NM) striking Shaun Higgins (WB): Intentional, low impact, body contact. 125 points down due to good record to 93.75 (reprimand); 70.31 with guilty plea (reprimand).
Daniel Wells (NM) rough conduct to Shaun Higgins (WB): Negligent, medium impact, high contact. 225 points down due to good record to 168.75 (1 match); 126.56 with guilty plea (1 match). Combined: 262.5 (2 matches); 196.87 with guilty plea (1 match).
Nat Fyfe (Fre) striking Jordan Lewis (Haw): Intentional, low impact, high contact. 225 points up due to bad record to 276.25 (2 matches); 207.18 with guilty plea (2 matches).
Mathew Stokes (Geel), Pearce Hanley (BL) first offence negligent umpire contact. $1200 fine; $900 with guilty plea.
Jordan Roughead (WB) second offence engaging in melee. $2800 fine; $2100 with guilty plea.
Mark Austin (WB), Lindsay Thomas (NM), Aaron Black (NM) first offence engaging in melee. $1600 fine; $1200 with guilty plea.
