Essendon will challenge Dylan Shiel’s two-match suspension for rough conduct at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Shiel’s bump on North Melbourne’s Curtis Taylor during the Bombers’ 14-point win on the weekend was graded as careless conduct, high contact and high impact.
The Bombers are hopeful of having the impact-grading reduced after an MRI scan on Monday to assess a potential facial fracture cleared Taylor of structural damage.
If the Bombers are successful in having the grading reduced to medium impact, Shiel would miss only one game.
Fourth-placed Essendon will be looking to extend their winning sequence to three matches when they take on the Western Bulldogs at Metricon Stadium on Friday night.
Tuesday night will be a busy one for the tribunal, with St Kilda’s Ben Long appealing a rough conduct charge for a hip-and-shoulder that concussed Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy.
The incident was assessed as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact and was referred directly to the tribunal.