Full-forward rubbed out after high bump in final round of regular season.
Lance Franklin will miss this weekend’s return match against the Sydney Swans in the first round of the finals after being handed a rough conduct charge.
Franklin became the centre of controversy when he was placed on report for his shot on Sydney’s Nick Malceski last weekend.
After review the incident the AFL said it was media contact and that it warranted one-match on the sidelines with an early guilty plea.
If the Hawks elect to fight the charge and win they could have their key forward in the line-up for the crucial clash, lose however, and ‘Buddy’ might miss out on two games.
While Hawthorn has won 11 of its past 12 games without Franklin, only three have been against top-four sides.
Franklin’s captain Luke Hodge has been fined $1950 for making contact with an umpire.
The panel also assessed an errant elbow by Franklin that bloodied the nose of Swans defender Heath Grundy.
The panel deemed the contact to be incidental and as a result of Grundy hanging on to his arm as he led for the ball.
Franklin was lucky not to have a tougher punishment handed out to him given he has a rap-sheet for similar incidents, as no carryover points were taken into consideration.
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