Geelong will accept the one-match ban to key forward Tom Hawkins for his jumper punch on Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch on Friday night.
Hawkins became the first victim of the AFL’s publicly declared crackdown on jumper and gut punches after the Match Review Panel (MRP) graded his strike on Crouch as intentional with low impact to the head.
Cats coach Chris Scott said the club was not prepared to risk the extra one-match penalty if the challenge was unsuccessful at the tribunal.
“We’ve decided that we won’t (fight the MRP’s findings),” Scott told Fox Footy on Monday night.
“That’s a product of really studying the system.
“We feel that the odds are so stacked against you … with so little grounds to actually challenge things, that you’re really challenging a subjective view and by extension the stance that the AFL has made.
“If we didn’t risk an extra week, we’d take it up for sure.”
Hawkins will now miss the round 13 clash with West Coast at Domain Stadium by taking the early guilty plea, given the Cats have their mid-season bye this weekend.
However, had Geelong unsuccessfully challenged the striking charge at the tribunal, the 28-year-old would have been sidelined until round 15.
Cats superstar Patrick Dangerfield did not mince his words when asked about his immediate reaction to the MRP’s verdict.
“I don’t think it’s consistent at all,” Dangerfield told Channel Seven on Monday night.
“I’m disappointed as a teammate, and I by no means condone the jumper punch, but we’ve seen it for the past month where there’s been incidents and nothing’s come of it – there’s been a few fines – but all of a sudden there’s a suspension.
“This is what frustrates fans (and what) frustrates players – there’s no consistency there.”
After the 22-point win over the Crows, Scott labelled Hawkins’ jumper punch as “insignificant”, saying the club viewed the key forward’s action as “more of a push than anything”.
The Cats’ coach also expressed his concerns that the Hawkins incident would turn into something “bigger than it should be” following the AFL’s recent crackdown.
Hawkins was suspended for a week in the corresponding round last year for a similar punch to Greater Western Sydney co-captain Phil Davis.
Meanwhile, the Cats have invited their fans to an open training session at 10am Saturday as the players enjoy their well-earned bye.
