Port Adelaide premiership coach and former Greater Western Sydney and Richmond assistant Mark Williams says Dylan Shiel "feels cheated" after a bump by Trent Cotchin forced him to miss most of the Giants' preliminary final loss to the Tigers.
Shiel, who is dating Williams' daughter, was advised by doctors not to travel to Melbourne for Monday night's Brownlow Medal count because of the lasting impact of Saturday's concussion.
Speaking on SEN, Williams said Cotchin, who was cleared to play in Saturday's grand final by the match review panel, should "100 per cent" have been suspended for the bump.
"He [Shiel] feels cheated. I've talked to him," Williams 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 misses it, with Bachar [Houli].
"And he [Shiel] thinks 'wait a minute, the system, I got hit in the head from Cotchin and I didn't get a free kick even. I got hit in the head again by David Astbury, didn't get a free kick. What is going on?'
"I feel for him ... 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 Giants denied Shiel was upset at the MRP decision, saying the players were only disappointed that they lost a preliminary final.
Williams said he would be supporting the Tigers in the grand final and that Cotchin was a tough and fantastic player.
Cotchin earlier admitted he feared he could have been suspended for the Tigers' first grand final in 35 years for his bump on Shiel.
The footy world was divided over whether the star midfielder should have been sanctioned. Shiel was ruled out of the rest of the preliminary final after failing a concussion test at quarter-time.
"It comes and goes [the thought of missing the grand final] but the reality was the decision was going to be made today, so there was no point worrying about it," Cotchin said on Monday.
"I am relieved in a sense given there was so much attention about it. But as it always has been, it is about the process. It's a big week on the track and hopefully an even bigger Saturday.
"I was pretty relaxed. My intention was always going for the footy. I was glad that was the way they ruled it."
The Tigers were also relieved that Cotchin had been cleared. Key defender Alex Rance said Cotchin had become much like Geelong's Joel Selwood in terms of his leadership.
Rance said Cotchin's ability to will himself into a contest, as he did in one instance against Phil Davis on Saturday night, had shown his true character.
"Cotchy willed himself on to that ball, probably a game-saving tackle. I see a lot of similarities between Joel and Trent. They just will themselves to contests. It's not always super flashy stuff, which you respect them for, but it's those hard, emotive moments that really make him the captain he is," he said.
In clearing Cotchin, the MRP said: "The ball is loose between Cotchin and Shiel. Both players are seeking to win possession and are coming towards each other from right angles. Cotchin moves down low and braces for contact as Shiel approaches to pick up the ball.
"It was the view of the panel that Cotchin was seeking to win possession as his line of direction was always towards the ball and not his opponent. The panel determined that Cotchin was seeking to contest the ball and therefore contact was not unreasonable in the circumstances. No further action was taken."
Cotchin's teammate Brandon Ellis was also cleared after a bump on Lachie Whitfield in the fourth quarter.
"The ball was loose with both players coming to the contest. Ellis runs through the line of the ball and seeks to win possession as Whitfield approaches the contest. Ellis braces for contact with Whitfield and high contact is made to the Giants' player. It was the view of the panel that Ellis was contesting the ball and no further action was taken," the MRP said.
The Crows' Rory Sloane also had no case to answer from a confrontation with Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield, with the panel viewing it as "reasonable" contact.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said on Saturday night that he expected Cotchin would be cleared.
"I think so. At the end of the day, [he is a] ball player. I haven't seen it to be honest. Other people make their assessments and go from there," he said.
Giants coach Leon Cameron said after the preliminary final that he had also expected Cotchin to be free to take on the Crows.
Cotchin has two previous sanctions from the MRP this year. He was booked and fined for jumper punching Fremantle's Lachie Neale in round eight. Then came the incident in the first quarter of the match against St Kilda in round 16, who mauled the Tigers by 67 points.
Cotchin gave away a free kick for a deliberate out of bounds and then gut-punched Jack Lonie.That cost him a 50-metre penalty and later a $1500 fine for striking.???
Williams said that he played a key role in helping develop the AFL rule that ensured the player who had their arms outstretched going for the ball would be protected against another who was choosing to bump, as occurred in the Cotchin-Shiel incident.
"I was specifically involved with changing the 'head over the ball' rule with Byron Pickett. I went to the AFL when Byron Pickett got six weeks [for bumping James Begley in 2005's pre-season] and said 'what's going on? We need to get this right'.
"If you put your hands down to pick up the ball no worries at all, if it hits you in the head well bad luck, both of you are going for the ball. But if you're putting your closest arm to the bloke that's picking up the ball and tucking your shoulder and running and hitting him in the head first that is wrong.
"Everyone knows that is wrong. That is the way the rule was written you protect the bloke that was putting his two hands down at the ball."
