Cotchin gone for four
07/20/2010 08:49:25 AM
Richmond has rolled the dice at the tribunal and failed as midfielder Trent Cotchin was suspended for four weeks for charging North Melbourne's Sam Wright in last Sunday's game.
Cotchin had originally been offered a three-week sentence by the match review panel if he took an early guilty plea to a Level Four charging offence for his bump on Wright from behind as the Kangaroos' player took a mark.
The incident was assessed by the MRP as reckless conduct (two points), high impact (three points) and high contact (two points).
The total of seven activation points meant the charge was classified as a Level Four offence, drawing 425 demerit points and a four-match sanction.
Cotchin, though, had opted to plead guilty to the reckless conduct and high impact components of the charge, but was contesting the high contact in a bid to get his sentence reduced.
However the young Tiger failed in his bid to have the tribunal reduce the charge and the full suspension from the MRP has been imposed in another blow for the Tigers ahead of this week's clash with ladder leader Collingwood.