The severity of the strike and the potential to cause serious injury mean the match review panel will likely opt not to give Jonas the chance to submit an early guilty plea.

Jonas arrived late at a marking contest and caught Gaff flush in the back of his head with a elbow, raising the ire of Gaff’s teammates.

The biggest ban handed out so far this year was five weeks to Gold Coast backman Steven May after he knocked out Melbourne ruckman Stefan Martin in a front-on clash.

May’s previous bad record meant a week was added to his sanction.

Jonas has only previously been suspended once in his 82-game career – in 2013 – but he could well get slugged with a five- or six-match suspension this time around.

“He’s a nice bloke. He knows he made a mistake,” Power coach Ken Hinkley said of Jonas.

“The AFL will take care of that and Tommy will cop what comes his way, but he’s more concerned for Andrew than his own self.”

Gaff’s neck was placed in a brace and he was stretchered from the field.

.@andrewgaff03 = ??#AFLPowerEagles pic.twitter.com/wikR3Aawy4

— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) May 21, 2016

Port’s two-time All-Australian Robbie Gray – in his first match back from a hamstring layoff – was also reported in Saturday’s eight-point loss to West Coast for tripping Eagles forward Mark LeCras.

Western Bulldogs onballer Lin Jong is in trouble with the MRP after he was reported for a high front-on bump that ended GWS defender Matt Buntine’s participation in Sunday’s match at Spotless Stadium.

St Kilda veteran Leigh Montagna will face scrutiny from the MRP after lashing out at Mark Baguley in Sunday evening’s 46-point win by the Saints at Etihad Stadium.

-AAP