HOW LATE is too late? That is the one question the Match Review Panel will be debating when it convenes at 11am on Monday to discuss Jack Ziebell's ruthless bump on Travis Cloke.

In one of the most controversial MRP cases since Jack Viney's 2014 bump on Adelaide's Tom Lynch, milliseconds will be difference between Ziebell being cleared or facing the Tribunal on Tuesday night.

They would appear the only two outcomes for a bump that made no high contact but left Cloke with multiple broken ribs and sidelined for between four and six weeks.

If the Panel believes Ziebell executed his bump a reasonable amount of time after Cloke disposed of the ball at Etihad Stadium, then he walks.

But if he was late and the bump was unreasonable in the circumstances, the North Melbourne skipper faces a grading of severe impact, which is automatically sent to the Tribunal.

The rules of the game state that Ziebell can choose to bump Cloke off his kick, and that is presumably what the midfielder was trying to do when he cannoned into him in typical style on Good Friday.

It happens often in a game without consequence, sometimes with a free kick paid down field if the bump was sufficiently late.

Such was the timing between Cloke's kick and Ziebell's hit – and the fact no free kick was paid down field – this incident would not have been discussed if not for the multiple broken ribs Cloke walked away with as a result.

The idea that Ziebell had other options, such as smothering his opponent's kick, is not relevant under the charge rough conduct (bumps to the body).

A bump to the body is a legal action, so it is only a question of lateness.

The bump has been eulogised many times in the past three years as players and coaches adjust to a competition, a Match Review Panel, and a Players Association that want forceful high contact eliminated.

"If you choose to bump, the onus of responsibility for you is to make sure that you don't cause forceful head-high contact," then football operations manager Mark Evans said in 2014. It's a line often repeated.

Ziebell's case has been an emotion one because there was no high contact and it is assumed by some that Ziebell should escape penalty for that alone.

It is quickly forgotten that Sydney's Zak Jones was penalised only two weeks ago for a late bump to Cloke that made medium impact to his body, not his head, paying a $1000 fine.

There are also different interpretations of lateness and how reasonable Ziebell's hit was as a result.

AFL legend Leigh Matthews believes Ziebell will be penalised, telling 3AW at the weekend: "It was marginally after the ball was kicked so you would think to yourself: 'Was the bump necessary?'."

North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey disagreed and argued suspending Ziebell would be against the spirit of the game.

"The ball was in play (and) that’s one of those things … when the ball’s there, you’re allowed to go hard for it," he said on Channel Seven.

With only one question to answer – how late is too late – it would surprise to see Ziebell charged when there are only milliseconds involved. If he is, being sent to the Tribunal and having a transparent hearing is the second best result.

In other cases being assessed on Monday, West Coast forward Mark LeCras faces a one-match ban for a high bump on Sydney's Aliir Aliir.

LeCras made contact to Aliir's head with his left shoulder, and a grading of medium impact – depending on the Swans' medical report – would see him miss one match, the Eagles' clash with Hawthorn in round five.

Essendon's Conor McKenna was reported for a high bump on Adelaide's Riley Knight and is also likely to miss one match.

The charge could come under the forceful front on contact rule, with Knight bending over to take possession and McKenna choosing to bump.

If impact is graded low he will face a $1000 fine, but it could be upgraded to medium given the risk of serious injury in bumping a player from front on with his head over the ball.

Greater Western Sydney's Toby Greene is likely to be fined for an off-the-ball hit on Port Adelaide rookie Dan Houston.

If the MRP deems there was insufficient force for a striking charge, he faces a $1500 fine for a second low-level charge under "attempted striking".

If his hit is sufficient for a striking charge, it would be graded intentional conduct with low impact to the head and he would miss one match.