FOR MORE than 20 minutes of Monday's Match Review Panel session, Geelong veteran Steve Johnson is being assessed for his striking charge.

Panel members Luke Ball, Michael Christian and Nathan Burke grappled with ways to get more information about the alleged strike on Allen Christensen, which was out of sight in broadcast vision.

"Should we speak to Christensen for completeness?" asked one panel member, after a phone conversation with umpire Brent Wallace failed to clarify the issue.

"What will it achieve?" asked another.

The decision was close to falling Johnson's way when Tribunal co-ordinator Patrick Clifton decided to search archives for alternative camera angles that didn't go to air in Channel Seven's broadcast of the Geelong match.

He returned declaring the new vision he held on a USB stick was conclusive, meaning Johnson was set to miss what would have been his 250th match this week.

Being granted a seat in the MRP room, as I was this week, gave a great insight into the workings of a job that sparks weekly debate and controversy. It's a job that requires a thorough approach.

There were many chances for the trio to come to a conclusion Johnson hadn't struck Christensen with enough force to constitute a reportable offence, using the evidence the Lions player didn't leave the ground due to injury and had a positive medical report from the Brisbane Lions.

Their refusal to clear Johnson without more conclusive evidence meant the right result was eventually settled on.

The Panel dissected 41 cases on Monday, 90 per cent referred by the three panel members over the weekend.

The process of watching football with an eye for umpire contact, melees and off-the-ball bumps – rather than marks, goals and clearances – is one that has dictated how they watch most games.

It was an unusually busy week - the group usually assessing 30-35 cases. They'll usually start at 11am and won't finish until at least 2.30pm on a quiet day. On Monday they left AFL House at 4.30pm exhausted.

The first case they looked at out of round 18 was James Frawley's dangerous tackle on Jack Riewoldt, an action they said had become a "point of contention for us".

Debate will typically start with one member's opinion. "I don't like this" or "I've got a problem with this" or "I hate this", one will say, before explaining his view.

"Are we getting too focused on the outcome rather than the action?" one asked in reference to Frawley's tackle.

Jack Riewoldt was awarded a free kick following this tackle from James Frawley #AFLHawksTigers http://t.co/hEMeOohGa8 — AFL (@AFL) July 31, 2015

Forming a precedent and comparing incidents to past cases is a focus for the panel, with Brian Lake's rough conduct charge compared to two past examples.

With photographic memories of past cases, and the ability to recall what round they occurred in and the players involved, this isn't time consuming.

The MRP is at the mercy of cameramen, and they grow frustrated when the broadcasters focus elsewhere.

Mark LeCras' high bump on Matt Shaw was blurred on the crucial frames.

'Victim' players are also scrutinised for their role in an incident.

"Is the answer you've got to be stronger? You've got to expect contact if you're setting up to block a player in your forward 50." This is when the panel's collective 677 games come into play.

With no break for five-and-a-half hours, debate can get off track and Tribunal co-ordinators Clifton and Scott Taylor are in the room to direct conversation back to the MRP guidelines.

They'll ask questions when there is an impasse. "Is it intentional? What is the case for medium impact? Can you live with that?"

After four-and-a-half hours in the room, and with crucial cases 'parked' for more scrutiny, the panel gets restless.

They're watching a potentially dangerous tackle by Jack Viney on Scott Pendlebury when Burke spots a bump by Bernie Vince on Marley Williams, which wasn't on their initial list of referred incidents.

"We need to have a look at that," he says.

The charge is eventually thrown out after another lengthy debate because the vision shows Vince's bump causes Williams to effectively punch himself in the face.

All cases are settled by 4.20pm and AFL media manager Patrick Keane is called in to note down the penalties. Clifton hits the phones to call the respective football managers and deliver good or bad news.

Some clubs will receive a call to let them know a player is on their watch list for behaviour that could eventually lead to a penalty if it became worse.

"It can be a long and draining process but we resign ourselves every Monday to taking as much time, having as much debate and discussion needed to ensure we get to the right outcome," one panel member told AFL.com.au.

"We understand that some cases come with more noise, hype, and emotion but it’s the job of the MRP to remove all of that and assess each case on its merits, to again arrive at the right outcome for the game."