AFL MRO: Hawthorn ruckman facing scrutiny for late spoil attempt

Hawthorn ruckman Lloyd Meek is facing a potential three-match ban for rough conduct after the tall Hawk made a clumsy late spoil on Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski.

The incident occurred in the third term after Jamie Elliott delivered a short, weighted kick inside 50 to Lipinski, with the 26-year-old holding the mark before Meek crashed over the back.

While Meek did not make contact with the head in his late spoil attempt, the force of his momentum rocked Lipinski into the turf, with the Collingwood midfielder hitting his head on the ground, and despite getting up to take his set shot from the goal square, he would eventually be ruled out of the contest with concussion.

Patrick Lipinski scored following this incident involving Lloyd Meek.#AFLPiesHawks pic.twitter.com/S9uIY1fTni

— AFL (@AFL) May 30, 2025

The clash is set to be one of the many Match Review cases this season that are either charged with a three-game ban or none at all, depending on how Match Review Officer Michael Christian views the incident.

Should Meek be offered a suspension, the grading will likely be for careless conduct, severe impact, and high contact.

A suspension to Hawthorn's premier ruckman would be a detrimental blow to the Hawks, who, on a three-game losing streak, still have the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide Crows to come before a clash against North Melbourne.

Lipinski will miss the King's Birthday clash against Melbourne due to concussion protocols.