Hawthorn forward Mabior Chol has been handed a three-match ban for his dangerous tackle which left Geelong defender Tom Stewart concussed and unable to play in next week's Grand Final.
Graded as high contact, severe impact, and careless conduct, the Match Review Officer gave Chol three matches, which would mean he doesn't return until Round 4 next season.
Stewart will miss the Grand Final under the league's concussion protocols, whereby players deemed to have been concussed must sit out for at least 12 days.
The rule has brought into question whether or not the pre-finals bye would be better off moved to the week prior to the Grand Final in order to minimise the risk of someone missing with concussion -- currently the only injury by which the length of the layoff is dictated by the AFL and not the players or clubs themselves.
If Hawthorn had beaten the Cats, Chol would have been the hardluck story of Grand Final week.
The 28-year-old would have become the first player since West Coast's Andrew Gaff in 2018 to have missed a Grand Final through suspension.
Meanwhile Chol's teammate Jack Ginnivan escaped a ban, but was slapped with a potential $10,000 fine for tripping Geelong's Jack Bowes.
It was Ginnivan's third tripping offence, but his fine can be downgraded to $6250 if he accepts an early guilty plea.