ST KILDA'S Lenny Hayes and Maverick Weller will miss the Saints' opening round clash with Melbourne after accepting one-match bans from the Match Review Panel.
Hayes' initial penalty for a level three striking offence – in an incident involving Greater Western Sydney midfielder Stephen Coniglio – was downgraded to a one-match sanction with an early guilty plea.
Weller, who looked set to make his Saints debut early in the season, also accepted his ban for striking the Giants' Tomas Bugg in the same game.
The Saints will also be without two of their other premier midfielders against the Demons in round one, with last year's best and fairest winner Jack Steven (broken foot) and the experienced Leigh Montagna (suspension) both unavailable.
In other MRP news, Geelong's Billie Smedts and the Sydney Swans' Ryan O'Keefe accepted their reprimands.
Smedts collected Melbourne's Jimmy Toumpas high and was cited for striking in Friday night's game in Alice Springs, with his initial one-match ban reduced to a reprimand and 93.75 carryover points to his future record.
O'Keefe was booked for striking West Coast midfielder Scott Selwood during Thursday night's game in Blacktown and his one-game ban was revised to a reprimand and 93.75 carryover points to his future record.
Meanwhile, Selwood has accepted a $900 sanction for misconduct after being cited for pushing Swans opponent Craig Bird into the path of an umpire in the same match.
