South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell has been hit with a one-match suspension for his high shot on Storm flyer Sua Fa'alogo in their Anzac Day clash.
Fa'alogo was ruled out of the game due to concussion while Mitchell was sent to the sin bin and placed on report for the incident early in the second half of Melbourne's 24-16 win at AAMI Park.
Mitchell has been subsequently charged with grade two dangerous contact and will miss one match with an early guilty plea or risk a second if he fights the charge and is unsuccessful.
MORE: Legends split over Latrell Mitchell high tackle as South Sydney star lands in trouble
Souths play Newcastle and Brisbane over the next two rounds.
Fa'alogo losing his feet and his head suddenly dropping into Mitchell's path also contributed to the severity of the hit and was no doubt considered by the match review committee.
Despite the mitigating circumstances and the ultimately light sanction, Mitchell's unavailability continues to plague the Rabbitohs.
The 27-year-old is now in his sixth campaign at the club but has never played more than 17 games in a season, with injury and discipline far too often ruling him out.
A calf injury to start 2025 did, however, pave the way for emerging livewire Jye Gray to gain valuable experience at fullback, proving himself to be a more than capable option at the back for Wayne Bennett's side.
Mitchell's suspension comes as the Rabbitohs sit in ninth with a 4-4 record, although they are set to be without playmaker Cody Walker for at least a month due to a calf strain suffered during the week.
Gray filled in at five-eighth alongside Jayden Sullivan in round eight but Bennett is fast running out of options to cover his absent stars.
English off-season recruit Lewis Dodd now looks set to get at least one game in the halves, with Gray to return to the fullback position while Mitchell is sidelined.