FREMANTLE’S Dean Solomon has been suspended for eight weeks by the AFL Tribunal after pleading guilty to striking Geelong’s Cameron Ling on Saturday.

The penalty is the single biggest since Greg Williams was suspended for nine matches for interfering with an umpire in the 1997 season.

Fremantle were initially considering a challenge to the severity of the penalty but released a statement on Tuesday night saying there would be no appeal.

Fremantle football manager Robert Shaw noted in the statement that the club had accepted the tribunal's decision and would not appeal the length of the penalty. Solomon will now be unable to play football until round two of the 2009 season and will carry 82.81 points once he returns.

After a hearing lasting an hour, during which evidence was tendered by umpire Justin Schmitt, Geelong club doctor Chris Bradshaw, and character references supplied by Essendon legends Kevin Sheedy, James Hird and Adam Ramanauskas, the Tribunal conferred for just 15 minutes before handing down an 850 point penalty.

The report was referred directly to the tribunal, meaning it was up to the jury to decide on the penalty.

The usual 25 per cent reduction on the penalty because of his guilty plea did not apply.

Solomon appeared via a video link from Perth and described Ling as a surfing and drinking mate when they catch up at Torquay, near Geelong.

He added that they exchanged text messages on Sunday, where Solomon apologised for the incident.

Solomon had also publicly apologised immediately after the game at Skilled Stadium.

"I don't feel very good at all, I'm quite ashamed of my actions - at the time, I knew straight away I had gone outside the rules," he said in his evidence.

"It hasn't been easy on myself or my family, I'm very upset with the situation I've put myself in."

Geelong tended medical evidence that Ling would be out of action for three-to-six weeks, not the original three-to-four week period.

Ramanauskas, who has returned to the AFL after battling cancer, said in his character reference that Solomon had helped him enormously during the illness.

"He's almost gone through the illness with me," Ramanauskas stated.

Ramanauskas, Sheedy and Hird all said in their statements that Solomon was a hard player, but added that the blow was out of character.

In summing up, tribunal advocate Jeff Gleeson SC acknowledged Solomon's guilty plea and his remorse, but also made it clear the jury should throw the book at him.

"A better means of showing respect for your fellow footballers is to lower your elbows," Gleeson said.

Solomon has an appalling tribunal record - in his 191-game AFL career, he has now been suspended for a total of 17 matches.

Earlier this year, Sydney key forward Barry Hall was also referred directly to the tribunal for striking West Coast opponent Brent Staker and received a seven-game suspension.

There was some good news for Fremantle at the Tribunal with Ryan Crowley deemed not guilty of striking Gary Ablett. The Tribunal said it was not convinced he had made more than negligible contact.

In the other case for the night Daniel Pratt was cleared of making unnecessary contact to the face of the Power's Brett Ebert in the Roos/Power clash on Saturday night.

On leaving the Tribunal, Pratt said he was relieved the ordeal was over.

"I'm glad I've got past that and I can now look forward to next week," Pratt said.