Carlton midfielder Andrew Carrazzo says the AFL tribunal’s decision to ban North Melbourne’s Jack Ziebell for four matches despite going for the ball is confusing.

Carrazzo’s teammate Aaron Joseph was concussed in the incident from the game on July 13 but recovered to play in Saturday night’s win over Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

“It’s disappointing. It probably goes against our instincts as players to see the ball and win in,” Carrazzo told Seven’s AFL Game Day on Sunday.

“‘AJ’ was hit in the head and knocked out. I’m not trying to take the gloss off that.

“But it is confusing for us players as well about knowing what to do and what’s acceptable and what’s not.”

Geelong’s 2011 premiership skipper Cameron Ling described Ziebell’s ban for rough conduct as one of the worst decisions in tribunal history.

Ling said players were taught from a young age to keep their eyes on the ball and go hard at it.

“The worry from this suspension is players aren’t going to know what to do now,” Ling said.

“If the ball’s there and you’re going at it and your eyes are on the footy, what are you supposed to do?”

Carrazzo admitted the Blues were devastated by skipper Chris Judd’s four-match ban on Tuesday for misconduct after his chicken-wing tackle on North’s Leigh Adams.

“The club was definitely flat for two days after it happened. It was a like a bit of an elephant in the room, with the energy being sucked out of the group,” Carrazzo said.

“But with those sorts of things, you leave it low for a day or two and then everyone starts giving him stick about it.”

Richmond great and Channel Seven commentator Matthew Richardson claimed the media scrutiny on dual Brownlow Medallist Judd’s case was way over the top. The incident was considered so serious by the match review panel that for the first time since 2009, a case was referred directly to the tribunal.

“It’s just the world we live in now, ‘Richo’,” Carrazzo said.

“With the amount of money that’s being brought in by the media now, we’ve just got to accept that this is the environment we work in.”

A back-hander punch from Geelong’s Matthew Scarlett in Friday’s game against Essendon and a heavy bump from West Coast’s Shannon Hurn on Adelaide’s Jared Petrenko are expected to come under scrutiny from the match-review panel.