NORTH Melbourne star Ben Cunnington is set to walk a fine line for the remainder of the season, with a little-known Match Review clause putting him at risk of a date at the AFL Tribunal.

Cunnington has become the first player to be fined a maximum of $5000 for a 'third and subsequent' offence by the Match Review, having been charged with striking for the fourth time on Monday.

Having reached that point, Match Review Officer Michael Christian will now have the option of sending Cunnington directly to the Tribunal based on his cumulative record should he be charged with another offence throughout the remaining seven games of the year.

It means the Tribunal would decide upon Cunnington's punishment based on his series of offences throughout the entire season, rather than just one single charge.

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It would subsequently put the in-form midfielder at risk of a suspension or an even heavier fine.

The clause is simply an option for Christian – not a requirement – with it only likely to come into effect should Cunnington be charged with a similar low-level striking offence to the four he has already been found guilty of this season.

Section 4.4 (D) of the Match Review's guidelines will be the determining factor in this. It reads: "The MRO may also refer a matter to the Tribunal if it considers it appropriate to do so based on the circumstances of the offence, the record of any player involved, any mitigating factors or other unusual features of any report such as a hit 'off the ball' on an unsuspecting opponent."

Cunnington's most recent charge – for striking St Kilda's Jade Gresham on Sunday – was his fifth offence of the season, equating to a total of $15,500 worth of fines for this year alone for four striking charges and one charge of making careless contact with an umpire.

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He had already escaped receiving the maximum $5000 fine earlier in the season as he was charged twice for striking in the same game – against Port Adelaide in round six.

Cunnington was fined $2000 in round one for a strike to the midriff of Fremantle's Nathan Wilson, before being slapped with further $3000 fines for striking Port Adelaide duo Robbie Gray and Brad Ebert five weeks later.

Ben Cunnington and Nathan Wilson were involved in an incident in the last quarter of #AFLFreoNorth. pic.twitter.com/dd4CIKtKBU — AFL (@AFL) March 24, 2019

"That'll be looked at."



Brad Ebert headed to the bench after this incident with Ben Cunnington. #AFLPowerNorth pic.twitter.com/k6hym1IRxZ — AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) April 26, 2019

He was also fined $2500 for making careless contact with an umpire during North Melbourne's round four clash with Adelaide, before his latest $5000 fine for striking Gresham over the weekend.

It will likely be the 14th time Cunnington has pleaded guilty to a Match Review charge throughout his 202-game career, equating to a total of two games worth of suspensions and $23,900 worth of fines.

The AFL elected to change a previous Match Review guideline that saw three fines equal an automatic one-game suspension ahead of the 2018 season, instead opting for heavier fines with each subsequent offence.

Cunnington has been in outstanding form this season, averaging a career-high 28.5 disposals and leading the League for contested possessions to put him in the All Australian discussion.