WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson has been hit with a four-match ban at the VFL Tribunal for intentionally making contact with an umpire, despite a recommendation from the umpire advocates for a reprimand and financial sanction.

The Bulldogs immediately announced that they would appeal the decision, which would effectively sideline the 30-year-old for five weeks, given the upcoming VFL and AFL byes.  

An appeal would likely be scheduled for Thursday night. 

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Both the umpire advocates and Minson's legal team pushed for a financial sanction, but after 25 minutes of deliberations Tribunal members Sal Perna, John Russo and chairman Eddie Power said they did not accept that was a reasonable penalty.

"As we all know umpires are sacrosanct and not to be touched," Power said in handing down the decision.

"The evidence is we have very few cases (of umpire contact) over many, many years.

"We think that four premiership matches are appropriate in the circumstances."  

Minson, who is seeking to re-establish himself in the Bulldogs' senior team following five weeks in the VFL, had been due to make a statement but did not comment as he left AFL Victoria headquarters on Tuesday night. 

The ruckman's advocate, Sam Norton, said Minson was "extremely disappointed" in the outcome and an appeal would be lodged formally ahead of Wednesday's 12pm deadline.  

Minson was sent off with a red card in Sunday's match between Footscray and North Ballarat and reported, with his case sent straight to the Tribunal after he pushed umpire Thomas Chrystie in the back with his left arm.

The Tribunal was told he apologised twice to Chrystie on the ground and again on Tuesday night before the case was heard, with the young umpire accepting his apology.

Chrystie described the contact as "low to moderate" in force, and said it pushed him off his line as he moved to signal a shot on goal had been touched.

He said Minson had been intimidating in his language when questioning the umpire on his decision.

"From my point of view the expletives were intimidating and the push sent me off my line," Chrystie told the Tribunal.

"I don’t begrudge what happened on the day, that’s just the law."

Minson stayed behind post-match at Whitten Oval on Sunday and tried to apologise again, but the umpires decided it was not appropriate for him to enter their rooms. 

The AFL has a fixed financial sanction of $1500 for careless contact to an umpire – down to $1000 with a guilty plea – but intentional contact is sent straight to the Tribunal.

The umpire's advocates pushed for a "severe reprimand with a substantial financial sanction", but the VFL Tribunal is able to set its own penalty.

On Wednesday, the AFL Players' Association slammed the VFL Tribunal's decision to suspend Minson.

AFLPA general manager of player relations Ian Prendergast described the penalty as "entirely disproportionate" and called for a review into tribunal processes at state league level.

"We believe that the penalty recommended by the VFL and the umpires’ advocate – a reprimand and a fine – would have been an appropriate penalty in the circumstances and struck the right balance between penalising the player and sending a strong message," Prendergast said in a statement.

"We therefore support Will’s decision to appeal this penalty and hope that common sense prevails.

"The AFLPA is concerned that the tribunal processes at second-tier levels have not evolved at the same rate as the AFL tribunal system and will be requesting that the AFL undertake a review to address these issues.

"We have engaged in correspondence with the AFL on this issue prior to the decision involving Will and consider it important."

Port Adelaide midfielder Andrew Moore was suspended for three weeks earlier this season for making intentional contact to a SANFL umpire.

SANFL tribunal chairman Ian White said at the time the panel had to "take a stance" against Moore, with the Power's subsequent appeal unsuccessful.