Former match review panel member Jimmy Bartel says a bump by West Coast's Jeremy McGovern in round one should act as a precedent for Trent Cotchin to be cleared to play in Saturday's grand final against Adelaide, as the football world awaits the MRP's ruling on the Richmond captain's head-high hit on Giant Dylan Shiel.
Cotchin's shoulder and back appeared to collect Shiel's head in the first quarter of the Tigers' preliminary final victory over GWS, putting Cotchin's eligibility for the Tigers' first grand final since 1982 into question.
A fine from the MRP would result in Cotchin receiving a one-match suspension, given he has already received two fines for separate incidents in 2017.
A rough-conduct charge, deemed careless, low impact and high contact (the lowest possible grading for the incident) would receive a fine and result in a one-match suspension for Cotchin.
However Bartel - who quit the MRP in August due to frustration with the system - believes Cotchin shouldn't be cited because West Coast's McGovern escaped a charge for a similar incident involving North Melbourne's Jarrad Waite in round one.
"Accidents do happen and that is where I think it lies," Bartel said on 3AW. "It has a lot [of similarities] with round one, McGovern from the Eagles and Waite had a very similar collision. They both had their hands down at the ball and McGovern was fine.
"I see a lot of similarities between those two incidents, which they'll have to review, and remember they'll have a lot more angles than us, they'll have that debate and conversation but I personally ... I think he is fine."
In the McGovern-Waite incident the panel judged that "McGovern was contesting the ball and no further action was required".
"The panel said the ball was loose with the players McGovern and Waite seeking to contest the ball. McGovern has his right arm down to reach the ball when high contact was made to Waite."
Bartel argued for Cotchin by saying that the contact, which all at once collected Shiel and contested for the football, was a "football action". Bartel warned that the "box-ticking exercise" of the panel didn't take "football actions" into account, something that frustrated the Brownlow medallist so much he quit the MRP and called for urgent reform.
"I reckon I have said it a hundred times ... but it's just a box-ticking exercise and one of the boxes doesn't say 'what game was it?'
"I thought it was just a collision, it wasn't a bump. I know he has tucked himself down almost in that cannonball sort of moment, but he does make contact with his hands on the ball and for me that is the important bit."
Shiel played no further part in the preliminary final after quarter-time. He failed a concussion test after telling GWS medical staff at quarter-time he felt dizzy.
The Giants midfielder received a second head-high bump in the first quarter. Just before the quarter-time siren Richmond's David Astbury ran past the ball to bump Shiel, his upper-arm appearing to connect with the 24-year-old's face.
It is understood that following Cotchin's initial bump, the Giants were more concerned with an injury to Shiel's shoulder than they were concussion. However it is still unclear if only one or both of the bumps to Shiel's head contributed to his concussion.
Another incident similar to the Cotchin bump was Sydney's Zak Jones' head-high hit on Melbourne's Mitch Hannan in round 15. Jones was cleared of any wrongdoing with the MRP saying, similarly to the McGovern incident, that Jones was contesting the ball during the hit.
"The ball was loose with both players coming to the contest," the panel said. "Jones runs through the line of the ball and seeks to hit or tap the ball with his right hand to his advantage, making contact with the ball. At the same moment, he braces for contact with Hannan and high contact is made."
Cotchin's two prior charges for 2017 are both punches - one a jumper punch to Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale's chin and the other a gut punch to St Kilda's Jack Lonie.
Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt wouldn't comment on the incident on Sunday but defended the character of his captain vehemently.
"The way he attacks the ball shows exactly the sort of player he is," Riewoldt said. "He attacks the ball with ferocious spirit and it was fantastic to him stand up again for us.
"He was the best player for us on the ground yesterday and he led from the front and it comes down to him wanting the ball more.
"I don't think so [that he is worried about the incident], he is the captain of the football club for a reason, he's been very calm and measured."
Cotchin had 26 disposals (17 contested), nine tackles, seven clearances and five inside 50s during the preliminary final.
In other possible MRP news, Adelaide will be sweating on a ruling on star midfielder Rory Sloane, who ran into Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield during the Crows' preliminary final win over the Cats.
Dangerfield looked groggy initially but played out the game. The Tigers' Brandon Ellis bumped the Giants' Lachie Whitfield high, while Astbury may also be nervous due to his bump on Shiel. Fines for those players would not result in them missing a game due to a poor record.
