Collingwood deputy vice-captain Ben Johnson has accepted a six-match suspension for forceful contact on Melbourne’s Daniel Bell during the third quarter of Friday night’s round 20 match.

The 26-year-old was been charged with ‘bumping or making forceful contact to an opponent from front-on when that player has his head over the ball’, and was offered a six-match sanction with an early plea.

The offence was categorised as reckless conduct (two points), severe impact (four points) and high contact (two points), resulting eight activation points and a classification level five offence.

That resulted in 750 base demerit points and a seven-match sanction. Johnson had 70.31 existing carry-over points from a striking charge from round 19, increasing the total demerit points to 820.31 and an eight-week ban.

An early guilty plea reduced the suspension by 25 per cent to 615.23 points and a six-week ban, ending his 2007 season even if Collingwood plays four finals, including the grand final.

Johnson, twice a runner-up in the Copeland Trophy voting, has played every match except one in season 2007 for a career total of 155.