Essendon ruckman Tom Bellchambers has been slugged a $2000 fine for what appeared to be a jab to the throat of Nic Naitanui last night.

The two big men tussled off the ball during the third quarter, with Bellchambers felling his opponent after a right-arm hit.

Naitanui felt the effects of the hit for several seconds before returning to the action with a crunching tackle.

The AFL’s Match Review Officer this afternoon confirmed the $2000 fine had been dished out for striking, with the incident assessed as intentional with low impact.

The decision came amid some fans’ suggestions on social media that Naitanui had overexaggerated the contact and gone to ground too easily.

The fine was the sole incident to catch the eye of the Match Review Officer from West Coast’s upset 28-point loss.