Jacob van Rooyen’s season is hanging by a thread after the Melbourne forward received a hefty ban for the high hit that concussed Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir.

Van Rooyen received a three-match suspension from Match Review Officer Michael Christian.

Pending a successful Demons challenge, he would miss their final home-and-away match against the Western Bulldogs, then two finals on top of that.

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That would mean the Dees would need to win either a wildcard or Week 1 final, depending on where they finish, and then either an elimination, semi or even preliminary final without the star spearhead.

The ban sours an emphatic 76-point win at the Adelaide Oval that pushed Steven King’s men up to fifth on the AFL ladder, giving them a chance at a top-four finish heading into the final round of the home-and-away season.

Late in the second quarter, van Rooyen collected Aliir late and high after a strong intercept mark.

The Power defender fell motionless to the ground and was assisted off the field.

He was quickly confirmed to have sustained a concussion, ruling him out of the Power’s Round 24 clash with Essendon.

Jacob van Rooyen is set to sweat on the AFL’s match review after this contact with Aliir Aliir.Source: FOX SPORTS

“That’s trouble. Big trouble,” former Power coach Ken Hinkley said on Fox Footy.

“Eyes off the ball and swinging hand into Aliir.

“Not trying to put anyone into trouble but Darcy Fogarty I’ve seen do something similar … that’s an aerial contest where he does take his eye off the ball just late. Then he commits to making forceful contact.

“You can’t do that.

“It’s a swinging arm – unnecessary. He clearly wasn’t going to mark the ball.

“I think it’s clumsy but the outcome is pretty diabolical for Port.”

However, Power coach Josh Carr wasn’t as adamant, saying he didn’t feel the incident was “overly malicious”.

“I haven’t looked at it closely, but at first thought I can see how it happens,” he said.

“Obviously, it didn’t look great, but I didn’t think it was overly malicious either.”

Fox Footy reporter David Zita suggested on Sunday that a newly introduced tweak to MRO rules going into the 2026 season could allow Christian to reduce the ban to two weeks.

But no such leniency was forthcoming.

The Demons will have until Tuesday to signal their intent to challenge the sanction at the AFL Tribunal.

Collingwood star Beau McCreery will be skating on thin ice for the remainder of the season after being charged with umpire contact for the third time.

The incident from the Magpies’ thrilling draw with Hawthorn has earned him a $5000 fine, which can be reduced to $3,125 with an early plea.

More concerningly for the Pies, under rules introduced midway through 2025, McCreery will earn an automatic one-match suspension if he infringes again this season.