I think your are missing my point. Which part of what Cotchin did was not intentional?
Clasping Neale's jumper? Pulling him forward. Maintaining a clenched fist whilst extending the arm outward toward Neale?
The consequence of those things is a strike to Neale's face. The consequence isn't in dispute. It was impact to the head. Low, medium or high makes no difference to the intent.
However, each of the things Cotchin did was intentional. Each of these could also be called careless. So a system designed by clever people that asks you to travel down a road to a T junction and choose left for intentional or right for careless is silly. If your system is implemented to clear up the greyness so people can accept it as relevant, the first decision is intentional or not? Subsequently you make the judgement of careless or careful. Then the other bits of algebra that make up your disciplinary formula come into it.
I say: Intentional - yep. Careless - yep. End result - hit him. Contact - head. Impact - low or med. Do we want people to be doing this during footy matches - nope. 1 week or $10,000, player chooses and player has to prove the payment came from him if he chooses the fine.
Trent Cotchin, Nathan Fyfe, Robert Murphy, doesn't matter. It is not a token naughty thing. It's a bad and cowardly thing that has no place in our game.
