The AFL's Match Review Panel has suspended Sidebottom for four games. He can reduced the length of his suspension to three matches with an early plea.
It will be the first block of matches Sidebottom has missed this season.
In fact, it will be the first time he has missed a match since round 18, 2012. He has missed just two of Collingwood's 112 games since the 2009 Qualifying Final.
The AFL's Match Review Panel released the following assessment of the Sidebottom-Weller incident:
"Steele Sidebottom, Collingwood, has been charged with a Level Four Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence (425 points, four-match sanction) for engaging in rough conduct against Maverick Weller, St Kilda, during the first quarter of the Round 11 match between St Kilda and Collingwood, played at Etihad Stadium on Friday May 30, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a three-match sanction with an early plea.
Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the St Kilda Football Club, the incident was assessed as reckless conduct (two points), high impact (three points) and high contact (two points). This is a total of seven activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Four Offence, drawing 425 demerit points and a four-match sanction. He has no existing good or bad record. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 318.75 demerit points and three-match sanction."
