Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has described Dean Solomon's eight-match suspension as appropriate, although the Dockers' coach was clearly disappointed by the severity of the ban.

Solomon may have apologised to Geelong tagger Cameron Ling for the crude elbow that fractured Ling's cheekbone, but that didn't stop the tribunal handing him the biggest suspension since 1997, when Carlton's Greg Williams was banned for nine weeks for pushing an umpire.

Harvey said Solomon's action was a split second decision gone wrong, one which was hurting both the player and his family.

"Dean got caught half way," said Harvey before training at Subiaco on Wednesday.

"His initial reaction wasn't to do what he did and that's how you handle that split second moment ... I don't think there was any intent in what happened."

"He's obviously been affected by it, so has his family for that matter," added Harvey, although he refused to elaborate on what had occurred.

"I remain private on those sort of issues," said the Dockers coach. "(But) put it this way, a lot of things have happened since that particular incident."

And, when asked if the tribunal was being hypocritical suspending Solomon for eight when Barry Hall only received a seven-match ban for a premeditated hit on Brent Staker earlier this season, Harvey would not comment.

"It's a shame I can't talk about it, (but) what can I say," said Harvey. "I'd love to be able to answer that question, but I can't."

He did say that Fremantle's leadership group would not be giving Solomon any further punishment, although the club wanted the former Bomber to remain at the club for the rest of the season, assisting players on the track.

Harvey also refused to acknowledge there were deep-seated discipline problems at Fremantle, although he suggested Solomon was one of several Dockers whose disciplinary record tainted the rest.

"I think the team suffers from that because we've got three or four players who quite regularly get cited or are up for report," said Harvey.

"So, I think the team, in general, is carrying out the discipline but I think (there are) three or four players that we need to keep on educating on that, to stop that opinion of the club being so widespread."

But the coach said this would not stop the club offering Solomon a new contract for next season, saying the midfielder's form had still been a highlight of a dismal season for the Dockers.

Harvey also would not apologise