St Kilda utility Ben Long is facing a nervous wait after being reported for rough conduct on Sydney's Errol Gulden in the final quarter of yesterday's match.
The fringe Saint finds himself in quite a familiar position, staring down the barrel of a third suspension since the 2020 season.
Long has been struggling to find himself a spot in the St Kilda side all year, playing different positions and different roles as Brett Ratten tries to find a position where he can flourish.
However, he had his best game of the season on Sunday, collecting 27 disposals and 17 marks at 96% efficiency off the half-back flank, although could lose a starting spot in Round 1 next year due to a potentially inoming suspension.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Long was reported by umpire Alex Whetton for rough conduct on Gulden.
Judging by the incident, MRO Michael Christian could deem the contact as careless conduct, high contact and high/medium impact, which would result in either a one or two-match ban.
This would add to Long's history of reports and suspensions, starting from his three-week ban in 2020 for his bump on Fremantle big man Sean Darcy, and his bump on Bulldogs Jack Macrae in the 2020 elimination final, which resulted in him missing the Saints' crucial semi-final match with Richmond.
The Saints now face a nervous wait as the MRO decides if the incident is worthy of a suspension.