THE CONTROVERSIAL one-match suspension handed to Geelong's Tom Hawkins was fair, Carlton captain Marc Murphy believes.
Hawkins was given a week by the Match Review Panel for striking Greater Western Sydney co-captain Phil Davis in the last quarter of the Cats' 10-point win on Saturday night after the big forward clashed with Davis off the ball.
While the incident seemed to be minor, replays showed Hawkins' left fist made glancing but clear contact with Davis' chin.
The MRP graded the incident as intentional conduct with low impact to the head, and handed Hawkins a two-game ban that could be halved with an early guilty plea.
The Cats decided to accept the ban rather than risk losing their star for vital games against North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs in round 13.
Speaking on RSN, Murphy said the solution to players avoiding bans was pretty simple.
"Don't use a clenched fist," he said.
"It (the suspension) was pretty stiff, but I think that sets the bar about where you can whack someone.
"So don't whack anyone in the first place.
"You'll get fined if it's in the guts, but if you get them in the head, that looks like a week to me."
Murphy said the Blues' players had already discussed the Hawkins incident and used it as an example of what not to do.
"I think you have to because they set the standard," he said.
"I think everyone now who plays AFL knows that if you punch someone and you get them in the head, you're going to cop a week.
"If you get them in the guts, you're going to get fined."
