Hayden Ballantyne has been charged with engaging in rough conduct against Adelaide's Matthew Jaensch and has had the matter referred straight to the AFL Tribunal.

The incident occurred during the fourth quarter of Sunday's match at Patersons Stadium.  

WATCH: Hayden Ballantyne's bump on Adelaide's Matthew Jaensch

Because the matter has been directly referred to the Tribunal, Ballantyne cannot accept an early plea.

The small forward has already been suspended this season after being charged for two incidents in the round 5 game against Sydney. He was given a one-game ban on that occasion.

An AFL.com.au report claimed the MRP referred the matter straight to the Tribunal because Ballantyne's poor Tribunal record meant he would have received too severe a penalty under the standard points system.

The MRP referred charges involving Adelaide's Richard Douglas and Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney directly to the Tribunal earlier this year.
Douglas was suspended by the Tribunal for two weeks for his bump on Greater Western Sydney captain Callan Ward in round five.
Viney was also suspended by the Tribunal for two weeks for his bump on Adelaide forward Tom Lynch in round seven, but ultimately cleared by the AFL Appeals Board.