Port Adelaide will contest Hamish Hartlett’s one-match ban for striking Cyril Rioli in the Power’s AFL loss to Hawthorn on Sunday.

Caretaker coach Garry Hocking said the club believed it had a strong case to take to the AFL Tribunal.

“It (the video) shows that Cyril initiated the contact, but that will all be played out tonight,” Hocking said on Tuesday.

“We had a really good look at it. We’ve looked at Cyril’s argument, we’ve looked at Hamish’s and we feel we need to go in a fight and have Hamish play next week.”

Rioli and Hartlett collided in the centre square during the first term in Sunday’s match at Aurora Stadium, prompting several Hawthorn players to remonstrate with the Port midfielder.

Hartlett was offered a one-match suspension with a guilty plea after the AFL’s match review panel deemed the incident worthy of 225 demerit points or a two-match ban.

Port have also lost Troy Chaplin for the rest of the season with the defender to have knee surgery.

But Hocking said he was optimistic the free agent, who has been linked to a move to Richmond, would stay with the Power next season.

“Right across the year, he’s shown he’s got great leadership values,” the coach said.

“Even now, he’s not going to put the cue in the rack. He’s going to have surgery, he’s going to make sure he does all his rehab right and he’s going to spend time with the playing group.”