Collingwood full-forward Chris Tarrant could risk a suspension stretching into next season as the Magpies weigh up whether to contest a striking charge at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night.

Tarrant has been offered a three-match ban by the AFL's match review panel if he submits an early guilty plea to striking Fremantle's Matthew Carr at the MCG on Sunday.

But Magpies football operations manager Neil Balme said the club was leaning towards the risky option of contesting the charge - failure would result in a five-match ban, which would include the opening round of next season.

The Magpies have until 10am Tuesday to decide.

The panel assessed the behind-play incident, not captured by television cameras, as of medium impact, head-high and committed recklessly, equating to a four-week ban.

But that was upped to five weeks when the penalty was increased by 20 per cent to take Tarrant's record into account, the forward having received a two-game striking suspension last season.

An early guilty plea would result in a 25 per cent reduction and a three-week ban.

The severe penalty will further sour the Magpies' mood towards officials after coach Mick Malthouse took aim at the umpires on Tarrant's behalf.

Malthouse labelled the out-of-form spearhead "probably the most frustrated player in the competition", saying the umpires were not giving him a fair go.

Those comments are likely to result in the AFL hitting Malthouse with a hefty fine.

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