Cotchin dodges AFL ban, Buddy in the clear

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin avoided a ban for his jumper punch on Docker Lachie Neale, while Lance Franklin escaped punishment altogether.

Richmond Tigers captain Trent Cotchin

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin (pic) has escaped a ban for his jumper punch on Docker Lachie Neale. (AAP)

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin has escaped a suspension despite being charged by the AFL match review panel for his jumper punch to the jaw of Fremantle's Lachie Neale.

Cotchin would have been slapped with a one-match ban if the MRP ruled the contact was intentional.

But the jumper punch was classified as careless and of low impact, meaning Cotchin can accept a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea.

Former Brisbane forward Alastair Lynch, who was commentating the game for Foxtel, said the AFL needed to start cracking down on jumper punches.

"They've got to rub that out of the game," Lynch said during the commentary.

"You're going to just keep seeing that week in, week out if players are allowed to get away with it."

Sydney star Lance Franklin is free to play in Saturday's crunch clash with St Kilda after being cleared of any wrongdoing over his hit to the head of North Melbourne's Sam Durdin.

The panel ruled Franklin's action was not a striking motion, and that Durdin had ducked just before the moment of impact.

Hawthorn wingman Isaac Smith was slapped with a $1000 fine for his off-the-ball hit on Brisbane's Nick Robertson and Brisbane's Eric Hipwood was also fined $1000 for his hit on Smith.

Geelong's Cameron Guthrie escaped punishment for pushing umpire Justin Schmitt out of the way in his attempt to take a mark.

But Melbourne's Bernie Vince wasn't so lucky, with the veteran slapped with a $1000 fine for his head clash with umpire Craig Fleer, who subsequently failed a concussion test.

AFL clubs St Kilda, Carlton, Sydney, and North Melbourne are all facing sanctions over their involvement in melees.

Multiple melees broke out in the North Melbourne-Sydney game, and the AFL will be writing to both clubs asking for a please explain.

The clubs will then have seven days to respond.

The AFL has taken the same approach to St Kilda and Carlton over the melee that took place in the third quarter of that match.

Under new rules introduced for this season, the AFL has the power to sanction both clubs and individual players over large melees or multiple breaches throughout a season.


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Source: AAP



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