Richmond captain Trent Cotchin is set for a nervous wait over the next two days, after an incident during the Tigers’ huge preliminary final win over GWS Giants.
Cotchin attempted to win the ball away from Dylan Shiel, however in attempting to bump the Giants midfielder out of the contest, he collected him high.
Though the initial concern regarding Shiel was for his shoulder – which he has regularly had issues with – things quickly changed.
Shiel was ruled out of the remainder of the match after suffering the effects of a delayed concussion.
The match review panel will surely scrutinise the incident.
The incident may well draw a one-match ban from the MRP or longer, given the AFL has often been happy to pull the trigger finger on incidents involving high contact or concussion this year.
However, even if the MRP does not rate the incident as being worthy of a ban, Cotchin could still miss a week if he is instead fined for his actions.
Cotchin, having already been fined twice during the 2017 season, will incur an automatic one-match ban if he is fined a third time.
If that is the case, then he will miss Richmond’s first grand final in 35 years, and the Tigers will be without their captain on the big stage.
Cotchin’s only hope of playing in the grand final is if the match review panel decided he has no case to answer and give him no penalty of any kind.
The match review panel will announce their findings from this week’s game on Monday afternoon.
Richmond won through to their first grand final in 35 years with a thumping victory over the GWS Giants on Saturday at the MCG.
The match was tight in the first half, but Richmond pulled away in the third quarter and ran home in the last to confirm their grand final berth.
They’ll play the Adelaide Crows in the decider next Saturday.
Don Freo
Guest
So not only will Cotchin and Ellis be rubbed out, Astbury will too?
Brad
Guest
100% right Rick!!
Brad
Guest
100% right Rick!!
Fairsuckofthesav
Guest
Not the head. The upper chest.
truetigerfan
Guest
Umm . . . he actually did play on, Razzy. Didn't leave the ground till later, after a hit from Big Dave Astbury!
paulywalnuts
Guest
If his choice was to bump him, why not keep his feet and run through him with a hip and shoulder? More effective and less personal risk. He was going for the ball.
Slane
Guest
Shiel played on for the rest of the quarter, laid a tackle and copped another bump.
anon
Roar Pro
If you watch the video you'll see that he makes no effort to touch the ball with his left arm. It's simply dangling. All his effort has gone into bumping Shiel. Cotchin could have chosen to tackle Shiel, but alas he chose to bump him and we know that when you choose to bump someone rather than go for the ball or tackle then the onus lies completely on you to avoid head contact.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
That will be unusual if Cotchin wins a Norm Smith Medal as it is normally awarded to a player from the winning team!
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Especially when he was tucking his shoulder in to brace for the impact with Shiel's head!
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Um - not like Cotchin did ... not driving it into the player??
paulywalnuts
Guest
The Hodge-Murphy was the incident I was immediately reminded of. Yes Cotchin got there second but ever so slightly. It's reasonable to make a play on the ball and brace for contact simultaneously. Happens all the time.
paulywalnuts
Guest
Cotchin's left hand is centimetres from the ball, and he is clearly reaching for it. That's not even a fraction of a second as far as who was first to the ball. The right arm is braced for contact, which is a reasonable thing to do under the circumstances. Incidental contact, no case to answer for mine..
Peppsy
Roar Guru
It wasn't the only knock to sheil's head, and he grabbed at his shoulder not his jaw, indicating any pain from the knock to the head was negligible
Simoc
Guest
Yes looking at it from other angles which I hadn't seen previously, it doesn't look good for Cotchin based on prior rulings this season. Because he tucks up he is preparing for contact and the fact that he has collided first with Shiels head is all Cotchins fault. With Shiel on board the result may have been different.
Aransan
Guest
The media has to have something to talk about. Cotchin does play on the edge but there is insufficient evidence for him to be in trouble on this one.
Lroy
Guest
My first reaction was that Ellis had contributed to getting hit by not going as hard as he should have. He saw the guy coming, baulked, slowed up and took a hit on the chin which otherwise would have gotten him on the shoulder. So in my view its his own fault. If he cant protect himself he shouldn't be playing AFL. Cotchin is in trouble because he punched those two guys earlier in the year. If those never happen he gets a fine and plays.
Slane
Guest
It was in his hands for about the same length of time it was in Shiels hands. Split seconds.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Maybe there is some cynicism there, but if so, that would mean BigAl agrees with me to some extent. That would be a first on this site.
Old Pete
Guest
Firstly,my team is not in the finals so I don't care who does and doesn't play. Next,I switched commentary after listening to Eddie AFL hector his panel about the need to take into account the importance of the game next week,Cotchin being Richmond captain etc., etc. As Dermie quickly said -"that's irrelevant". Well,it should be,but with key influencers like E McG around,we'll see. The video shows it all. He wasn't going for the ball at the time of impact-that was his second intention-after he took the man out. Hev wasn't protecting himself in the act of trying to get the ball. He tucked his arm right in well before contact,aimed at Cochin,and hit him in the head. Then he went for the ball. Duty of care. Lesser player-absolutely gonski. Let's wait and see.