Collingwood's midfield will be badly depleted for Monday's Queen's Birthday AFL clash with Melbourne, after in-form star Dale Thomas failed to avoid suspension over a striking charge.

The Magpies will also be without another midfield gun Dane Swan, who is one of four Collingwood players on a 12-day mid-season recovery trip to Arizona.

And the club confirmed on Tuesday that youngster Dayne Beams will be out of action for at least a month, after breaking a foot in Saturday night's win over St Kilda.

"That's disappointing, but hopefully the boys can do the job in our absence," Thomas said of the multiple omissions for the Demons clash.

The penalty also wipes out any chance the Magpies star had of winning this year's Brownlow Medal.

Thomas, who has been in sensational touch in recent games, was banned for striking Saints tagger Clinton Jones.

He admitted to striking, but sought to have the charge downgraded from intentional to reckless, which would have meant only a reprimand, rather than the one-match ban.

Thomas admitted to making contact with Jones' mouth, after clenching his fist and swinging his left arm around from behind the Saint after laying a tackle.

But he said he had been trying to knock the ball away, explaining the fact that he missed it by some distance by claiming his view was obscured by Jones' body.

"I believed when catching a glimpse, it was within arm's reach and in that split second I've made a swipe at it," he told the tribunal.

His advocate, Josh Wilson SC, said Thomas, who would have been facing a two-match ban if not for a penalty reduction for his clean prior record, was a "gifted footballer moreso than a fighter".

But the tribunal members took only a few minutes to decide Thomas deliberately struck Jones, whose only injury resulting from the offence was that it caused a cold sore on his lip to start bleeding.

Earlier on Tuesday, Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh confirmed that Beams, 21, would be sidelined by a foot fracture.

An initial X-ray on Sunday failed to detect the break, but further scans revealed the extent of the damage to the 51-gamer.

"He will be at least a month on the sidelines," Walsh said.

Jarryd Blair and Brad Dick are among the potential inclusions, while coach Mick Malthouse has said there are several players contending for possible AFL debuts in the blockbuster clash.

Thomas was the only player to contest a charge on Tuesday night.

Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave, Sydney midfielder Ben McGlynn and West Coast on-baller Scott Selwood all accepted reprimands after pleading guilty to various charges.

Melbourne's Jack Trengove has been fined $900 for making contact with an umpire.

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