Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins could face a delayed start to his side's finals campaign after his final-quarter tackle on St Kilda defender Darragh Joyce saw the Saint subbed out with concussion.
The 33-year-old's tackle from behind came as the Moorabbin men were launching a last ditch effort from defense to keep their season alive.
According to Tom Morris and Max Laughton of Fox Footy, the league's Match Review Officer, Michael Christian, will have to take a myriad of factors into mind when deciding the 2020 Coleman medalist's fate.
Elements such as force, reasonability, the type of tackle performed and Joyce's awareness and ability to protect himself will be scrutinised before a sanction is handed down.
The fact that Joyce had already disposed of the Sherrin is certain to also play a key role in the decision making process.
The aforesaid scribes suggested that if the Finley born forward is slapped with a charge graded careless, high impact and high contact, then he is likely to miss a pair of weeks - including a Qualifying Final date which the Cats secured following their 14-point victory at Kardinia Park.
Fellow member of the Fox Footy stable Jon Ralph has since reported that he expects this exact ban to be offered by the MRO and that Hawkins will likely challenge the ruling.
Still, Ralph was of the belief that if this is to be the club's course of action, his case would almost certainly be thrown out due to its similarities to Nick Holman's tackle at the same venue earlier this season.
As Hawkins showed immediate contrition after his tackle had splayed the Irishman, the Fox Footy commentary team suggested that the veteran was aware that he had pulled the wrong rein late in the contest.
“Worse than that’s been looked at and I think Tom realised straight away, Garry Lyon stated.
"I don’t think there was a sling, that was a momentum injury, for me."
Fellow pundit and former champion key forward Jason Dunstall also chimed in.
“It was an aggressive tackle and you could see Hawkins showing concern straight up," he said.
“He dives to tackle him, doesn’t he?”
At the time of writing, no official charge has been handed to Hawkins, but with a top-four birth already sewn up, if the offensive centrepiece does miss the first-week of the Hoops' tilt for the premiership, then plenty of emphasis is certain to fall at the capable feet of key import, Jeremy Cameron.
The current ladder leading Cats will finish their regular season against fellow flag fancies Melbourne in a mouthwatering Round 23 clash that will see the victor crowned as 2021's minor premier.