Ballantyne was charged with rough conduct on Geelong defender Harry Taylor in the last quarter of the Dockers' 44-point win over the Cats at Simonds Stadium.

 

The small forward received a two-match ban for the contact – deemed careless with medium impact to Taylor's head – but the charge was upgraded to three weeks because of his poor disciplinary record.

 

However, Ballantyne can accept a two-match ban with an early guilty plea.

 

The feisty 27-year-old was rubbed out for one match on two separate occasions last season, and if Ballantyne accepts the latest charge it will be the seventh suspension in his 108-game career.

 

In other charges, Cats midfielder Billie Smedts and Gold Coast's Alex Sexton have been slapped with two-match bans for striking.

 

Smedts was reported for his contact on Dockers backman Lee Spurr, while Sexton was cited for his hit on St Kilda youngster Jack Lonie.

 

Smedts and Sexton's incidents were both judged to be intentional with low impact to the head.

 

Both players can reduce their suspensions to one game with early guilty pleas.

 

In other charges laid by the MRP, Stephen May (Gold Coast), Mitch Duncan (Geelong) and Michael Firrito (North Melbourne) can accept $1000 sanctions with early pleas.

 

May was cited for engaging in rough conduct with Lonie in the fourth quarter, while Duncan tripped Nat Fyfe and Firrito was booked for striking Brisbane Lions midfielder Allen Christensen.

 

May's charge was judged to be careless with low impact to Lonie's head, while Duncan's first-quarter trip was deemed intentional with low impact to Fyfe's body.

 

North defender Firrito's strike on Christensen was viewed as intentional with low impact to the Lions midfielder's body.

 

The three charges attracted $1500 fines for first offences, but can be reduced to $1000 with early guilty pleas under the new MRP system.

 

Other matters assessed included Collingwood small Taylor Adams' tackle on Adelaide half-back Brodie Smith.

 

Smith was taken to the ground in the tackle and his head hit on Magpie midfielder Travis Varcoe's knee on the way down.

 

The All Australian defender had to be stretchered from the field and is in doubt to play in round three against Melbourne, but the impact of Smith's head on Varcoe's knee was judged to be outside Adams' control.

 

Jackson Trengove's third-quarter hit to Sydney Swans recruit Isaac Heeney's face was also looked at, but judged to be below the force required to warrant a striking charge.