Trent Cotchin and Jordan De Goey are both free to play in Round 1 of the AFL season, after escaping with fines from Match Review Officer Michael Christian following incidents in the weekend’s AAMI Community Series match.
Cotchin was hit with a $1500 fine for misconduct after the former Richmond captain appeared to drop a forearm into Melbourne midfielder James Harmes’ neck during a scuffle at Casey Fields; but will be free to take on Carlton in next Thursday night’s season opener.
Had Christian ruled the forearm as low impact and intentional contact to the head or neck, the veteran would have earned at least a one-match ban.
De Goey’s wallet was hit harder, the Collingwood star handed a fine of $3000 for a dangerous tackle on Hawthorn ruckman Lloyd Meek in Launceston. The tackle was graded as careless, low impact and rough conduct, but he will remain available to play Geelong next Friday night.
Both De Goey and Cotchin can have their fines reduced to $2000 and $1000 respectively with an early guilty plea.
GWS ruckman Braydon Preuss escaped any sanction for his crude tackle on Gold Coast’s Tom Berry, with Christian deeming Berry’s jump into the tackle had instigated the collision.
Cotchin’s latest sanction has now seen him accrue $11,900 worth of fines across his career, but a four-week ban in 2010 for charging remains his only suspension.
The three-time Tigers premiership captain has had some controversial escapes in recent years, most notably a fine for a high bump on GWS’ Dylan Shiel in the 2017 preliminary final and one for kicking Adelaide’s Taylor Walker during a match last year.
Cotchin has also received fines for tripping, wrestling, engaging in a melee, umpire contact and striking across his 287-game career, which includes the 2012 Brownlow Medal.
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