Andrew Gaff has been referred straight to the AFL Tribunal for his hit on 18-year-old Andrew Brayshaw in Sunday's western derby between Perth-based teams West Coast and Fremantle.
Match Review Officer Michael Christian graded the incident as intentional contact with severe impact to the head, with the case to be heard on Tuesday night.
Brayshaw was accompanied by his mother to hospital and underwent surgery to repair his broken jaw and three displaced lower teeth. He will be unable to eat solid food for a month.
"I’d just like to thank everyone so much for their ongoing support over the last 24 hours," Brayshaw posted on social media.
"I truly appreciate each and every message that I’ve received and it’s helping keep a smile on my dial."
An apologetic Gaff apologised after the match saying it made him feel sick, but it won't save him from a long suspension.
"It came out of the blue," West Coast CEO, Trevor Nisbett, said on Monday.
"So we're as disappointed as we are with Andrew and the incident it seems extraordinary it happened yesterday."
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said he was distressed by the "king hit", and referred to Barry Hall's seven-week ban for a punch on Brent Staker in 2008 as a precedent for what the tribunal might hand down.
Despite the rarity of such incidents, AFL great Leigh Matthews is leading calls for the AFL to consider a red card or send off option.
"I hope the AFL, behind the scenes, are asking themselves the question," he told Macquarie Sports Radio.
"Brayshaw's lost to Fremantle, therefore Gaff should be lost to the Eagles."
In 1985, Matthews became the only VFL-AFL player to be referred to police for an on-field hit.
And prominent Perth lawyer, Tim Percy, has called for similar action be taken against Gaff.
But Trevor Nisbett dismissing it as "inflammatory".
"We have a tribunal that will meet, and sit on this, and that's the process that is in football and it will stay that way until it changes," he said.
WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson has confirmed the punch thrown by Gaff will be assessed.
But he also said it was rare for matters in professional sport to be dealt with by police.
- Additional reporting: AAP
