Essendon midfielder Heath Hocking can accept a three-week suspension for a striking offence on the Brisbane Lions’ James Polkinghorne, but the club will consider challenging the case at the tribunal.

Hocking was given a four-week ban, and though he can accept a three-week sanction, the club will spend Monday night considering its options.

Hocking received 425 points for the level five striking offence despite a five-year good record, with the match review panel judging the action as intentional conduct (three points), high impact (three points) and high contact (two points).

Essendon general manager football operations Paul Hamilton said the club, and Hocking, viewed his action as reckless, not intentional.  

“We think the action was reckless but not intentional, Heath himself certainly knows he didn’t deliberately try and make contact,” Hamilton said.

“If we do risk it and we don’t get the desired outcome he’ll miss four weeks so we have to be really careful in determining if we think we have a good opportunity to win the case.”

The suspension would be a big blow for the Essendon midfield, particularly in light of captain Jobe Watson’s hamstring injury.