Melbourne will appeal the AFL tribunal's decision to suspend forward Jacob Van Rooyen for three matches to the AFL Appeals Board.
The hearing will occur on Thursday at 5.30pm, after which Van Rooyen will learn his finals fate.
The outcome of the hearing will have a significant bearing on Melbourne's season, with Van Rooyen having kicked 42 goals this season.
The match review officer handed Van Rooyen a three-game ban for striking after he collected Port Adelaide milestone man Aliir Aliir high, causing a concussion.
Van Rooyen's camp unsuccessfully attempted on Tuesday night to downgrade the severe grading of the strike.
At this stage, he will be unavailable until at least preliminary final weekend.
If Melbourne win against Western Bulldogs and either Brisbane lose to Collingwood and/or Hawthorn lose to West Coast, Melbourne will finish in the top four. They are some chance to miss the top six if they lose.
"It has been classified as a careless strike, with high contact and severe impact. We find that this was a strike...it was a forceful blow, it was not simply a trailing arm that Aliir collided with," Tribunal chair, Jeff Gleeson, told the hearing, when delivering his verdict.
"Van Rooyen was initially intending to mark the ball, but we find that shortly before impact, he ceased to intend to mark the ball.
"In particular, van Rooyen does not have both arms outstretched, or otherwise positioned consistent with his stated aim of taking a chest mark.
"His left arm is well wide of his body and not shaping the mark, and his right arm makes no observable movement in attempting to affect a chest mark.
"We find that the impact is severe, the blow was forceful and resulted in Aliir immediately falling limp to the ground, where he briefly remained motionless. He left the field, played no further part in the game, and has suffered a concussion."
