Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin at training on Monday. Credit:AAP Once he braces, he then has a duty of care towards the player he is about to collide with. That's not me talking. That's the AFL. As soon as Cotchin makes high contact with Shiel, that duty of care has been breached, and Cotchin must be held responsible for the ramifications. No one is suggesting Cotchin intended to hurt Shiel by making contact with his head, but that doesn't get him off the hook. He didn't accidentally make contact with Shiel. He expected the contact and in the process acted carelessly.

Trent Cotchin's hit on Dylan Shiel. Credit:Channel Seven Then – and only then – does impact come into the equation. Here is how the incident should have been graded. Shiel missed the second half of the preliminary final, therefore it had to be judged as medium impact. If the GWS medical report suggested Shiel's concussion came from a separate incident, the impact can be downgraded from medium to low. In that case, the incident still should have attracted a third fine for Cotchin, and he should have had a one-match suspension. While Fairfax Media understands there was a robust discussion between members, ultimately the match review panel failed in its duty this week.

Of course the thought of Cotchin, who has been such an admirable figure in Richmond's revival, missing a grand final would have played on their minds; they're only human. But nor did Shiel deserve to miss half a preliminary final. Patrick Dangerfield walked into Monday night's Brownlow Medal count knowing he was out of the running. The Match Review Panel decided that Dangerfield's tackle on Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer was "unreasonable in the circumstances" and he was suspended. Dangerfield, like Cotchin, had a duty of care and Kreuzer's head hitting the ground was a direct result of a breach in that area. Dangerfield, also like Cotchin, was in the process of contesting the ball, albeit in a different manner.

If Cotchin had two hands outstretched when his shoulder cannoned into Shield's head, then it's a completely different situation. But he didn't. He knew he was about to make contact and he positioned his body accordingly. Cotchin has had a monumental season. He should have been picked in the All-Australian team and his leadership should have been acknowledged with the best captain's award at the recent MVP awards. But he should have been suspended by the match review panel, and would have had the chance to appeal his case to the tribunal in order to clear his name and play on footy's biggest stage.