Nakia Cockatoo tackles Dean Gore from behind during the Crows-Cats clash

THE MATCH Review Panel's firm stance on concussion will be put to the test on Monday afternoon, with Geelong's Nakia Cockatoo at risk of a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle.

Cockatoo came from behind and latched on to Adelaide midfielder Dean Gore as the Crow was jumping to receive a handball on Sunday, then drove him into the ground.

Gore's head made significant impact with the ground, leaving him with concussion and in doubt for Adelaide's final JLT Community Series match against the Brisbane Lions on March 11.

There is a case to clear Cockatoo, who has an existing bad record, but he could equally be slapped with a significant ban in one of the more difficult dangerous tackle cases for the MRP to assess.

While there weren't the 'two actions' or 'lift' the MRP typically looks for in a dangerous tackle, there are other triggers for a player to be found guilty of this offence.

The MRP can also charge a player for a dangerous tackle if:

The tackle is of an inherently dangerous kind, such as a spear tackle.

The player is in a vulnerable position (ie arms pinned) with little opportunity to protect himself.

A player is slung, driven or rotated into the ground with excessive force.

The MRP might find that the circumstances in this case were outside Cockatoo's control and he was preparing to make a textbook tackle when Gore unexpectedly left the ground.

But a case could equally be made placing Cockatoo's tackle in one of the above categories.

It was made when Gore was in "a vulnerable position", having just leapt off the ground, and Gore was arguably "driven" into the ground with "excessive" force.

The Panel would then be left to grade the charge, with medium impact sidelining Cockatoo for one match and high impact resulting in a two-match sanction.

The standard impact grading for offences that leave opponents with concussion is high impact, leaving Cockatoo with a base sanction of three matches reduced to two with an early guilty plea.

That would then be increased to three matches because of the 20-year-old's bad record, left over from a two-match sanction in the pre-season last year.

For Cockatoo there are only two outcomes. Either be cleared, or miss matches against Fremantle, North Melbourne and Melbourne to open the season. The latter is more likely.

Sydney star Lance Franklin has an obvious defence for his high bump on Greater Western Sydney draftee Tim Taranto.

The star forward was propelled into Taranto by a bump from trailing opponent Shane Mumford, an act that would convince the MRP that he had no control of the circumstances.

There's no knowing what Franklin would have done without Mumford in the picture, but the bump from behind clears him of all responsibility.

Port Adelaide ruckman Paddy Ryder has no such defence, and he faces a nervous wait for Monday afternoon's findings after landing what looked to be a high bump on Richmond midfielder Anthony Miles.

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Miles was tucked hard against the boundary line on Sunday and kicking when Ryder chose to bump.

In this case there was no more than low impact, but Ryder could still find himself charged and paying out a $1000 fine for rough conduct.