TED RICHARDS admits he was wracked with guilt and the feeling he may have let down his Sydney Swans teammates as he waited for Monday's verdict from the Match Review Panel.
Richards' split-second decision to bump Levi Casboult in the third quarter of Saturday's semi-final victory over Carlton left him with a terrible 48-hour wait to see if he would be free to face Fremantle this weekend.
The key defender has played every game this season and will be expected to line-up on both Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands at different stages of the preliminary final at Patersons Stadium.
With Buddy Franklin and Paul Chapman both rubbed out for one game after similar bumps in recent weeks, Richards felt enormous relief when he was only handed a reprimand on Monday afternoon.
"I saw the talk in the media about possible outcomes for my bump, both positive and negative, and a lot of people were asking me and I had no idea what it would be," Richards told reporters on Tuesday.
"So I was fairly nervous and thought I was going to find out yesterday afternoon about four o'clock.
"But I was in the ice bath and (Swans football manager) Dean Moore came down and told me the good news that I'd be able to accept a reprimand, which meant I could play this weekend.
"It was just relief because it would've meant (after) so much hard work, I'd let the team down at such an important stage of the season.
"That would've been incredibly frustrating for me, the other players and the coaches too."
Asked half-heartedly if he had considered suggesting to the Swans hierarchy they challenge the ruling, Richards replied: "I did mention it to 'Horse' (Longmire) as a joke.
"He didn't laugh."
With Richards free to play, due to the fact the MRP deemed his action negligent rather than reckless, it came as an important reminder to the Swans about the need to remain vigilant at all times.
"I don't think we've ever officially said (you can't bump), but we do understand through the whole course of the season that if you bump, there's so much to lose potentially," Richards said.
"So I think I'll have to be a bit more careful, if the same situation was to arise, about how I go about it."
Richards, Heath Grundy and the rest of the Swans' backline are set for a torrid time at Patersons Stadium.
The last time the two teams met, at the SCG back in round eight, it ended in a draw on a night when Pavlich and Sandilands were both missing due to injury.
The Dockers have a range of options in their forward line and the undermanned Swans defenders will need to be at the top of their game if they are to progress to a second consecutive Grand Final.
"It all depends on where they're playing," Richards said.
"Sometimes I'm up on Pavlich, but sometimes he's further up the ground in the midfield.
"With Pavlich, (Chris) Mayne or their resting ruckmen (Zac) Clarke or Sandilands, they're four very different players, unique and incredibly athletic.
"Myself, Heath Grundy and 'Ramps' (Dane Rampe) will be working closely together to get the right match-ups."
