Sydney forward Hayden McLean says Isaac Heeney is "unlucky" to cop a one-match suspension for an action he says is common in the game.
Heeney's Brownlow Medal hopes hang by a thread as the Swans head to the AFL's appeals board on Thursday in a bid to reverse the tribunal's decision to uphold his suspension for striking St Kilda's Jimmy Webster.
The club's failed attempt to overturn Heeney's ban during a lengthy tribunal hearing this week leaves the star midfielder ruled out of Sydney's clash against North Melbourne on Saturday.
A successful appeal would not only bring the 28-year-old back into selection for the game, but would also reinstate him in the race for the competition's highest individual honour.
Swans key forward McLean defended Heeney ahead of the appeal, saying the swatting action his teammate used to break away from Webster was a common movement in the game.
Heeney had swung a backhand fend on a stumbling Webster, catching the Saints defender in the face.
Webster was treated for a bloody nose on the field, but wasn't required to leave the ground and didn't need any ongoing medical attention.
"We sort of joked about it, like, you do that probably 40, 50 times in a game," McLean said on Thursday.
"You always try to get separation off your man, and it's just that unlucky thing.
"He was a bit sorry at the time, and I was behind him at the incident. He just literally said 'sorry, I didn't mean it'.
"You do that many times a game, and it's one of those things that just happened."
McLean says Heeney remains optimistic ahead of the appeal, but has stayed clear of the hype surrounding the Brownlow race.
"I spoke to him yesterday and he just put his phone off. He's off social media at the moment," McLean said.
"He's a very down-to-earth person and very humble and does what the team needs, so no, he's not too much looking into (the Brownlow speculation)."
Sydney coach John Longmire has expressed frustration with the tribunal's decision.
"First and foremost, Isaac is one of the fairest players that I've ever seen play the game," he told SEN radio on Wednesday.
"When you sort of look at the circumstances and in this particular instance ... I just can't accept that it was intentional.
"Given all that, what am I supposed to tell him and how can I coach him? How does a player get off a player?"
The Swans will argue their case to the appeals board on Thursday.
Under AFL rules, the club could argue there was an error of law during the tribunal hearing, that the decision was unreasonable, or that the classification of the offence or sanction imposed were manifestly excessive.