Captain Richie Vandenberg was suspended for four games after Hawthorn gambled and failed spectacularly at the AFL tribunal.

The Hawks had the option of pleading guilty to Vandenberg's forearm fend on Melbourne's Russell Robertson at the MCG last Friday night, and an early plea combined with a successful challenge in the conduct classification would have brought only a two-game ban.

Instead Hawthorn threw its might at having the entire striking charge withdrawn and lost, and Vandenberg's bad record meant the skipper incurred the biggest penalty of this season.

Vandenberg was suspended for six games midway through the 2004 season for striking and making unnecessary leg contact with Essendon's Adam McPhee, and the tribunal had to take that punishment into account this time around.

Essendon itself received mixed news, as clever forward Andrew Lovett was outed for three games for striking, but defender Dean Solomon's charging report was dismissed.

The Hawks have until Wednesday to decide whether to appeal after Tuesday night's approach backfired.

Video evidence clearly showed Vandenberg thrust his left forearm into Robertson's neck in an attempt to get the Demon "out of my face" as the pair ran up the MCG after a boundary line tangle in the first term.

"I felt my personal space was being invaded by Robbo, he had no reason to be running at me like that ... his only intention was to get in my way," Vandenberg said.

The match review panel rated the Hawk midfielder's contact as high, behind play and of low impact.

But Hawthorn could have argued the conduct was reckless instead of intentional and that Vandenberg was aiming to put his forearm into Robertson's chest rather than neck.

If he pleaded guilty to striking but had the conduct downgraded from three activation points to two, he would have been sidelined for only two games.

Instead he will miss games against Sydney, the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Richmond.

Hawthorn football operations general manager Mark Evans defended the club's tactic.

"That's a disappointing result for us," Evans said.

"We contested it because we did not feel it was a strike."

Lovett at least attempted to have his strike on West Coast's Adam Hunter downgraded from intentional to reckless, but the tribunal jury did not buy it and outed him from games against Port Adelaide, Adelaide and Geelong.

But the tribunal did not believe Solomon's bump on star Eagle Ben Cousins, at Telstra Dome last Sunday, constituted a charge, as the Bomber only took a half-step off his line and kept his arm tucked in.

Solomon said he saw Cousins approaching at the last instant and readied to protect himself, and was able to turn his self-defence into a block, which winded the Brownlow medallist momentarily.

In incidents resolved earlier, Hawk Chance Bateman accepted a reprimand for pushing Melbourne's Aaron Davey into the MCG fence, while five players accepted melee fines.

Carlton's Heath Scotland ($2,400) and Anthony Koutoufides ($1,500) and St Kilda trio Stephen Milne, Stephen Powell and Leigh Montagna (all $1,500) were fined for their melee involvement at the MCG last Sunday.

Hawthorn did receive some good news at the VFL tribunal, where forward Lance Franklin was cleared of charging.

Franklin, who booted four goals in the Box Hill Hawks' big win over Port Melbourne last Saturday, is eligible for a senior call-up to play Sydney at the MCG on Saturday night.

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