Hawthorn forward Mabior Chol may face a three-match suspension for his tackle on Geelong defender Tom Stewart.

The tackle resulted in Stewart suffering a concussion, and he has been ruled out of next week's 2025 AFL Grand Final, as he enters protocols.

The Cats have made peace with the heartbreaking reality, and will consider recalling Rhys Stanley, while Jed Bews will also come into the frame.

In the first term, Chol can be seen chasing down the star backman, pinning both arms and driving him into the ground.

Fans noticed Stewart immediately grab his wrist, which is what the suspected injury was until it was quickly revealed that he was dazed.

North Melbourne's Paul Curtis got suspended for three matches, and failed to overturn the decision, for his tackle on Port Adelaide's Josh Sinn in Round 7.

However, what is potentially working in Chol's favour is both the angle he comes from as well as the effort from teammate Sam Butler in bringing Stewart to the ground.

The Hawks, if the laconic forward is charged, can argue that it was the momentum that caused the injury, not the force or lack of a second action in Chol's tackling technique.

According to AFL guidelines, a player is considered eligible for MRO scrutiny if he pins both arms during a tackle that results in an opponent's concussion.

Chol didn't attempt to roll Stewart or minimise the force with which he entered the contest, and subsequently, his effort was directed at the Cats defender.
"The Stewart one's a bit hard to take right at the moment," Geelong coach Chris said.
"I understand it's not optimal for the AFL to have masses of players rested for inconsequential games in the last home-and-away round of the year, but I just didn't think that was a good enough reason."

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