Carlton will be taking Will Hayward's one-week suspension to the AFL Tribunal.

The former Swan was cited for a swinging arm to the torso of Kangaroos rising star George Wardlaw, felling him whilst the midfielder was in the act of executing a kick.

The MRO deemed the striking offence to be intentional conduct, body contact and medium impact, - a combination that delineates a one-week ban. Carlton will challenge the 'intentional' portion of the ruling, with a downgrade to 'careless' carrying a fine as opposed to a suspension. The hearing is likely to be scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The ban itself has been met with ridicule across the landscape, with respected caller Stephen Quartermain labelling the sanction "soft as butter," while imploring the Blues to challenge it.

Curiously, Hayward escaped sanction for a hit on Finn O'Sullivan, who will undergo scans to determine the severity of a jaw injury he seemingly picked up in a shoulder-to-shoulder collision with the Blues utility.

O'Sullivan has been on fire in recent weeks, garnering acclaim for his shutdown role on Essendon star Zach Merrett recently, while also starting to find plenty of the pill himself.

Hayward, on the other hand, has seen his struggles be emblematic of those of his club. Hayward's play, like that of his team, has been uninspiring to say the least this season, with the habitual goalsneak averaging just the 12 touches and one goal every two matches he's played for his new club. Hardly the return Michael Voss would have been banking on when the talented midfielder defected from the Harbour City.
 

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