Whether it is due to the punishment meted out by the tribunal for the vicious blow that felled Brent Staker, or the result of the broken wrist that is so sore he wore a T-shirt rather than a suit to last night's hearing, Barry Hall will miss at least the next seven games for the Sydney Swans.

Either way, Hall had no choice but to accept the seven-week ban he received last night, having acknowledged his culpability at a press conference on Sunday. "I think it is fair," he said immediately after the hearing, before again apologising for the blow that has left Staker with a bruised jaw, headaches and no memory of the incident.

The seven-week penalty might well have been more severe, with tribunal chairman John Hassett strongly suggesting Hall be given a 25 per cent discount for his recent clean record. The last of his six previous suspensions had been in 2002.

However, despite the massive hype that has surrounded an incident replayed constantly since Saturday night's game, the ban reflected the usual tribunal criteria for such offences rather than the widespread condemnation Hall has received - or the submission of Jeff Gleeson, the counsel assisting the tribunal, that Hall had "thrown a punch that would make Rocky Balboa blush".

While the video evidence was damning, and Hall admitted that he had intended to hit Staker, he repeatedly told the tribunal the punch had been the result of an inexplicable "mind snap". "I've improved out of sight as far as that stuff goes and it surprised me how bad it looked," he said.

If fit, Hall will return for the round 12 clash against St Kilda at the SCG, meaning he misses a potentially tumultuous return bout with West Coast at Subiaco the preceding weekend.

During his cross-examination, Gleeson put to Hall that he had intended to attempted to hit Staker with "maximum impact" and also quizzed Hall about boxing experience. "I hit pads, not people," said Hall of his most recent experiences, claiming his last official fight was "when I was 14".

"I intended to strike Mr Staker, but the severity of the blow was not intended," he said.

Gleeson told the tribunal that while Hall had pleaded guilty, he had no real alternative because of the strength of the videotape evidence and the fact he had his arms outstretched pleading his innocence moments after the blow was struck. "[His] arms would still be outstretched in apparent innocence if not for the videotape," he said. Umpire Stewart Wenn told the tribunal that prior to the punch had seen both players jostling and told them: "Let each other go."

Despite the guilty plea and the graphic nature of the punch, Hall's counsel, Terry Forrest, argued that striking was not considered as extreme as kicking or charging, Hall's guilty plea entitled him to a discount and that, despite the media coverage, the blow was "not a worst-case example of this type of offence and not as extreme as some commentators have suggested".

Swans coach Paul Roos gave character evidence for Hall, telling the tribunal Hall had not shown any similar poor discipline in his five years as senior coach and that he had been genuinely remorseful the day after the incident.

Perhaps fortunately for Hall, West Coast doctor Gerrard Taylor said that while Staker had suffered memory loss, headaches and bruising that made it difficult to chew, there was not yet any sign of permanent damage. Staker was given a 50-per-cent chance of playing against Port Adelaide on Sunday.

Hall admitted that he had tried to hit Staker in the head, but "not as high as I did". Asked if he had been as remorseful after his previous convictions as he was this time, he said: "Sure I was, that's why I changed."

After a hearing that lasted just over an hour, the tribunal jury of David Pittman, Wayne Schimmelbusch and Stewart Loewe took only about 10 minutes to determine a penalty that falls in the middle ground of the widespread opinion on the issue - slightly more severe than some would have given, far less than the most punitive judgements.

It was Hall's seventh conviction at senior level and will take his total suspensions to 23 weeks. He will also have 90 demerit points hanging over his head should he re-offend. Perhaps the greatest penalty will be the stigma created by the widespread publicity and the long battle Hall faces to restore his reputation.