Hawthorn’s preliminary final heartbreak has been compounded by a suspension to tall forward Mabior Chol.
Chol has been handed a three-match ban for the tackle that concussed Geelong star Tom Stewart in the first quarter of Friday night’s preliminary final.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tom Stewart concussed in Mabior Chol tackle.
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Late in the first quarter, Stewart was fighting for the ball when Sam Butler tackled him low. Chol then came in with a hard tackle that resulted in Stewart’s head crashing into the MCG turf.
It all happened in an instant, but Stewart’s arm was pinned in the tackle.
Stewart immediately left the ground and was subbed out with concussion.
The match review officer assessed the incident as careless conduct, high contact and severe impact, which drew the three-match ban.
It was a near identical incident to one earlier this year when North Melbourne star Paul Curtis copped a three-match ban for a tackle on Port Adelaide’s Josh Sinn.
Curtis challenged the ruling at the tribunal, but they ultimately upheld the decision.
If Chol does the same and loses, then he will miss the first three matches of the 2026 season.
Fiery Hawk Jack Ginnivan was also cited by the match review officer, handed a $10,000 fine for tripping Jack Bowes.
Ginnivan can accept a $6250 fine with an early plea.
Former umpire Ray Chamberlain at the time said Chol had done nothing wrong.
“It (the Butler tackle) is actually part of what brings Stewart forward and towards the ground,” Chamberlain said on ABC
“Chol’s tackle? Legal. There’s no rotation, he doesn’t place Stewart’s head in a vulnerable position ... I don’t think there’s any case to answer here for Chol.
“I just think it’s an unfortunate set of circumstances that’s led (to) his head hitting the ground.
“I don’t see that Chol will have a case to answer here.”
Chamberlain was asked how the Chol-Stewart incident compared to the Curtis tackle.
“Different tackle, different level of force - so we talk about excessive force and driving the player forward,” Chamberlain said.
“In this instance, Tom Stewart is going forward and to ground by his own volition in the initial tackle.”
Stewart, meanwhile, will miss next week’s grand final due to concussion protocols.
- With AAP
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