Match review panel member Nathan Burke says Trent Cotchin's place in the AFL grand final will be decided by one question — was it a bump or a brace?

Cotchin needs only to be handed a fine by the MRP for him to miss the grand final, with his two minor indiscretions from earlier this season leaving him on his last chance, and his bump on Dylan Shiel in the first quarter of the second preliminary final has caught the MRP's eye.

The Richmond captain made contact with the face of Shiel, having tucked his shoulder in for contact as the two players competed for the same ball on the wing, forcing the Giants star to miss three quarters of the match with a concussion.

Burke confirmed the MRP would have a good look at the incident, and fine margins would likely determine the outcome.

"Without pre-judging the incident, [Cotchin's intention] is certainly one of the things you would look at," Burke told the ABC.

"A bump is a deliberate action. Quite often what we see is when there's contact inevitably going to be made, players do tuck in the arm in a bracing action.

"So that will be one of the things that we'll toss up as well — was it more of a brace for the contact, or was it more of a brace for the bump?"

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The story has the potential to dominate the discussion throughout grand final week, with Richmond fans desperately hoping their captain can play in the club's first grand final in 35 years.

Dylan Shiel had to sit out three quarters of the preliminary final against the Tigers. ( AAP: Julian Smith )

But Burke said the issue would be sorted sooner rather than later, and there was talk of even trying to reach a verdict on Sunday.

"Yes there was [talk of a Sunday verdict], but apparently logistically with members of the panel and the AFL we couldn't actually manage it today," he said.

"We're going a lot earlier tomorrow [Monday], so whatever decision is made it will be made well before lunchtime."

Burke also admitted he knew many fans were hoping to see Cotchin cleared for the grand final, but said the AFL was not going to entertain any "sense of occasion" ruling.

"The AFL has really gone the other way, for quite some time they had double fines for grand finals," he said.

"Particularly, because they didn't want players going out there deliberately taking out other players.

"That would mean 'we've won the grand final, but I'm missing the first six weeks of next season'. So they went double the fines for grand finals."