GEELONG spearhead Tom Hawkins appears to be facing at least a one-game suspension based on previous cases where players have made intentional contact with an umpire.
Match review officer Michael Christian charged Hawkins with making intentional contact with Dean Margetts following a second quarter incident during Geelong's win over Greater Western Sydney last Friday night.
As Margetts approached Hawkins to explain a free kick and 50m penalty paid against him, the big Cat pushed the umpire's hand away.
Intentional contact with an umpire is an offence that is sent directly to the Tribunal, whose jury members then have absolute discretion to decide the appropriate sanction.
WATCH: Tom Hawkins in strife for umpire contact
The most relevant precedent for Hawkins' case was Heath Shaw's one-match suspension and $1900 fine for intentionally making contact with field umpire Michael Vozzo in 2009.
On that occasion, Shaw touched Vozzo on the forearm to get his attention in order to dispute a decision. As in Hawkins' case, the contact made by Shaw was light and fleeting, but the Tribunal nonetheless deemed it worthy of a suspension.
There are other cases of intentional umpire contact in AFL games, but all were adjudicated under the Tribunal regime that preceded the match review system.
Former North Melbourne captain Brent Harvey was suspended for two games in 2001 after tapping umpire Shane McInerney on the arm during a pre-season game to alert him to an incident behind play.
In 1997, dual Brownlow medallist Greg Williams was suspended for nine weeks on the charge of umpire interference after pushing Andrew Coates, an act that was clearly more forceful than Hawkins' push.
Brisbane defender Chris Johnson and West Coast's Chris Lewis were each suspended on the same charge for three weeks in 1997 and 1993 respectively.
There have been more recent precedents involving AFL-listed players in state leagues.
In 2015, Power midfielder Andrew Moore was suspended for three weeks after pushing an umpire lightly in the chest during a SANFL game.
That same year Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson received a four-match suspension from the VFL Tribunal after extending his arm to touch an umpire who was running to talk to an opposition player.
Minson appealed the decision and successfully had his suspension thrown out and replaced with a $7500 fine.
Hawkins' case will be heard by the Tribunal on Tuesday evening.
The Cats spearhead has already accepted a $2000 fine for engaging in rough conduct against Giants defender Nick Haynes during the second quarter of Friday night's game.
