Collingwood defender Nick Maxwell is free to play in this Saturday’s match against North Melbourne after receiving the all clear from the AFL’s Match Review Panel for his bump on Richmond’s Trent Cotchin.

Maxwell collided with Cotchin in the opening minutes of Friday night’s 38-point win over the Tigers but the league deemed the force to have been below what is required to constitute a reportable offence.

The Match Review Panel surmised the incident as follows:
"Contact between Collingwood’s Nick Maxwell and Richmond’s Trent Cotchin from the first quarter of Friday’s game was assessed. Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury has possession of the ball, Cotchin is within five metres of the contest and Maxwell makes high contact with Cotchin while in the act of bumping. After viewing all the available footage and receiving a medical report from the Richmond Football Club, it was the view of the panel that the force used by Maxwell was below that required to constitute a reportable offence. No further action was taken."

A clash involving Cotchin and Magpie wingman Clinton Young was also assessed but, like in the Maxwell case, the Match Review Panel opted to take no action.

The Match Review Panel surmised the Cotchin-Young incident as follows:
"Contact between Richmond’s Trent Cotchin and Collingwood’s Clinton Young from the fourth quarter of Friday’s game was assessed. Cotchin is running down the field and Young moves to block his path. Cotchin swings his arm and makes body contact with Young. After viewing all the available footage and receiving a medical report from the Collingwood Football Club, it was the view of the panel that the force used by Cotchin was below that required to constitute a reportable offence. No further action was taken."