THE MELBOURNE Football Club has this morning decided it will be contesting the charge of striking laid against forward Jacob van Rooyen.

The charge stems from a football incident involving Gold Coast player Charlie Ballard during Melbourne's Round 8 match against the Suns.

The collision occurred in the final quarter of the match and was later assessed as Striking – Careless Conduct, High Impact, High Conduct.

Twenty-year-old van Rooyen was offered a two-match sanction by the Match Review Officer.

The club has reached out to the Gold Coast Suns, and pleasingly Ballard has recovered well and is expected to play this week.