Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin has been given a one-game suspension for hitting Richmond’s Trent Cotchin.
The incident took place during the second quarter of the game on Friday evening, when a frustrated Franklin lunged at Cotchin after the Tigers midfielder kept a close eye on the key forward in the Swans’ attacking 50.
Franklin was initially awarded a free kick for holding the man as he struggled with Cotchin, before a pair of right-handed punches to Cotchin’s jaw resulted in the free kick being reversed.
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Match Review Officer Michael Christian assessed the incident as intentional low-impact, high-contact behavior resulting in a one-match suspension.
Since Cotchin didn’t go to the ground as a result of Franklin’s swipe, the incident left those watching confused as to what the final outcome would be.
“Either (there was contact) or Trent should go to Hollywood,” Collingwood celebrity Nathan Buckley told Fox Footy.
“I have a surreptitious suspicion that there was contact. Definitely contact and he threw it. I don’t know how you can claim it was not intentional.”
AFLW star Daisy Pearce begged to be different.
“I think he will be right, I think he went for a chest push and slid a little high,” she said on Seven’s cover,
“They won’t like the look of the AFL, but it slid up, open hand, it barely touched him and Cotchin played well.
“I think a fine at worst.”
The Swans enter the blockbuster match-up with a 7-4 record, while the top-of-the-table Demons hope to come back after their first loss of the season against Fremantle on Saturday.
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