Aussie Rules football is a notoriously 'tactile' sport lets say, with lots of contact and heavy tackling. 

But is this taking it a little bit too far?

In a match last week, Hawthorne defender Brian Lake gets into a bit of a scuffle with his opponent, North Melbourne's Drew Petrie.

While in a scuffle on the ground, things start to heat up a bit more, with Lake grabbing Petrie around the neck in a strangling motion.

Petrie starts to grab and grasp at Lake's face before Lake is eventually pulled away by another player.

What's more amazing though is that Petrie, the guy getting strangled, apologises to Lake after the game for scratching his face, saying:

"I didn't mean to scratch him. I'm not s scratcher or a gouger, or anything like that. But I was just engaged in a bit of a wrestle and just grabbed something because he had a hold of me as well."

Lake received a 4-week ban for his over aggressive tackle.