General manager of football operations Paul Hamilton said Lloyd will accept a four-game penalty for engaging in rough conduct.

“We put the facts - including advice from our QC - in front of Matthew and on balance he did not wish to appeal and we respect that decision,” Hamilton said.

“While there is an argument that this was a collision between two players going for the ball, Matthew has made his decision in the context of the AFL’s stand on head-high contact and the duty of care he has as a player.

“Matthew has had a long, successful career and is a ball player – the consequences of this collision with Hawthorn’s Brad Sewell were totally unintentional as the Match Review Panel observed.”

Lloyd said that it had been a difficult decision to make and he had thought long and hard about it and also consulted with family and friends.

“On balance, I did not believe that appealing the decision was the right way to go,” Lloyd said.

“I am also aware that this is an unwanted distraction leading up to a big final for the club and I hope this will be the end of the matter.”

In summary, his previous poor record means that he can accept a four-match sanction with an early plea.

The incident was assessed as reckless conduct (two points), severe impact (four points) and high contact (two points). This is a total of eight activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Five offence, drawing 550 demerit points and a five-match sanction. He has an existing bad record of one match suspended within the last three years, increasing the penalty by 10 per cent to 605 demerit points and a six-match sanction. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 453.75 points and a four-match sanction.

Patrick Ryder, Essendon, has been charged with a Level Three striking offence against Luke Hodge, Hawthorn, during the second quarter of the Round 22 match between Essendon and Hawthorn, played at the MCG on Saturday August 29, 2009.

In summary, he can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea.

The incident was assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points). This is a total of six activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Three offence, drawing 225 demerit points and a two-match sanction. He has no existing good or bad record. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 168.75 points and a one-match sanction.

Sam Lonergan, Essendon, has been charged with a Level Three striking offence against Luke Hodge, Hawthorn, during the second quarter of the Round 22 match between Essendon and Hawthorn, played at the MCG on Saturday August 29, 2009.

In summary, he can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea.