GWS spearhead Jeremy Cameron will spend the next five games on the sidelines as punishment for the sickening hit on Harris Andrews last Saturday that left the Lions defender in hospital with bleeding on the brain.

Cameron launched late at the ball with Andrews running in his direction, turned his body, raised his left forearm and hit the 21-year-old flush in the jaw.

Andrews crashed to the ground and laid motionless while medical staff tended to him, before placing his head in a neck brace and taking him from the ground on a stretcher.

He appeared responsive and in good spirits immediately post-match before his condition significantly worsened.

The Brisbane vice-captain was later admitted to hospital for testing, while the club consulted a neurosurgeon.

Cameron was sent directly to the tribunal by Match Review Officer Michael Christian with the incident graded as intentional, severe impact and high conduct.

The 25-year-old argued his actions were careless rather than intentional and appealed for a downgraded sanction of four weeks.

He said his intention was initially to spoil the ball before bracing for contact, claiming he didn’t have time to lower his elbow when Andrews reached him.

But the tribunal rejected this claim, and suggestions from AFL representative Nick Payne QC that the incident warranted a six-week ban.

After a marathon hearing and 33 minutes of deliberations, it was determined Cameron would miss five matches - against Hawthorn, West Coast, Richmond, Port Adelaide and St Kilda.

The result is a body-blow for the underperforming Giants, who were already without a raft of players from their best starting side including Rory Lobb (back), Toby Greene (foot), Daniel Lloyd (knee), Brett Deledio (calf), Tom Scully (ankle), Zac Williams (Achilles) and highly touted youngsters Will Setterfield (knee) and Lachie Tiziani (knee).

Cameron’s output in attack (35 goals) is almost three times that of the club’s next highest contributors (Zac Langdon and Ryan Griffin with 12 goals apiece).

GWS’ other tall targets, Jon Patton (nine goals from 11 games) and Harrison Himmelberg (nine from 13), have struggled this season and, on current form, look unequipped to lead the Giants’ forward line.

Leon Cameron’s team is two points and four percent shy of eighth-placed North Melbourne and faces an uphill battle to qualify for finals.

Andrews has been ruled out of Brisbane’s clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Sunday will be monitored closely in the following weeks.