Port Adelaide premiership winning coach Mark Williams says that Greater Western Sydney midfielder Dylan Shiel feels “cheated” following his head knock in the first quarter of Saturday’s preliminary final.

Shiel failed a concussion test after he was on the receiving end of a heavy hit from Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin that ruled him out for the remainder of the contest.

Speaking on SEN Afternoons, Williams has slammed the Match Review Panel after Cotchin was cleared of any wrong doing following the incident.

“He (Shiel) feels cheated. I’ve talked to him,” he said.

"Did he get concussed? Yes he did. Did he get concussed in the first collision with Cotchin? Yes he did. He could not see properly after that. There was an opportunity where he went for a mark but completely missed it

"He got hit in the head from Cotchin and he didn’t get a free kick. He got hit in the head again by David Astbury, didn’t get a free kick. What is going on?

"I feel for him, he has been completely cheated by the system. Dylan had seven possessions, two shots on goal and to lose a player that’s an All Australian in the first quarter, he came off and that was it."

The former Richmond assistant coach says the duty of care must be with the player who approaches the contest with an opponent already bent over the ball.

"If you are putting your closest arm to the bloke that’s picking up the ball, tucking your shoulder in and running and hitting the player in the head first then that is wrong," he said.

"That is the way the rule is written; to protect the bloke who is putting his two hands down at the ball and the opponent needs to take care."

Shiel has been advised by doctors not to attend tonight's Brownlow Medal.