Richmond’s Marlion Pickett could be set for a week on the sidelines after delivering an off the ball hit on Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver.
The incident unfolded in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s game between the Tigers and Demons at the MCG.
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As Melbourne’s Bayley Fritsch lined up to kick his club’s second goal of the contest, Pickett and Oliver were tangled up on the edge of the centre square.
After the pair separated, Pickett delivered a right hand directly into the stomach of Oliver which caused him to crumple over and fall to the turf.
Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney was standing nearby and instantly remonstrated with Pickett before players from both sides came rushing in as a scuffle broke out.
“He went to ground, he’s copped a belt to the guts and straight away his teammates got over. They are not happy at all here,” Cameron Ling said on Seven.
Pickett’s hit drew the ire of fans watching on and is likely to see him face repercussions from the match review officer.
Triple M’s Rudi Edsall wrote: “That action from Marlion Pickett should be a week no questions asked IMO. Completely unnecessary.”
Another used added: “Absolute cheap shot from Marlion Pickett! Enjoy next week off!”
Seven sport journalist Theo Doropoulos spoke about the incident following the game, comparing it to Scott Pendlebury’s hit on Lachie Neale earlier in the season.
“The new AFL rules means this will be graded as intentional, it was off the ball. It’s all going to come down to the impact,” Doropoulos said on Seven’s post-game coverage.
“It’s a fine if it’s low, it’s one game if it’s medium. Now we saw one of the great champions of the AFL get away with this one up in Brisbane in Scott Pendlebury.
“This was on Lachie Neale at the stoppage, it was a fine only. Given it was around the ball it can be careless, Marlion’s was off the ball so it’s going to be intentional. That’s the only sticky point, whether it’s medium or low.”
If Pickett is handed a week suspension, Richmond will likely head to the Tribunal to fight the charge and could point to Jesse Hogan who had his ban overturned on Tuesday night.
Hogan was handed a one week suspension by the MRO after striking Carlton’s Lewis Young off the ball.
The incident was graded as intentional, due to being off the ball, with low impact and high contact resulting in a one-match ban. The charge however was dismissed at the Tribunal after they agreed the impact on the hit was negligible.
The Tribunal ruling however didn’t go down well with veteran journalist Mark Robinson who was left in disbelief after learning Hogan had been cleared.
“(So you can) throw a jab at a player, connect with him, and they say, ‘Oh no, you didn’t hit him too hard’?’ Robinson said on AFL 360.
“Come on AFL, come on Tribunal.
“I think the Tribunal this year has really let people down.
“I’m staggered by that decision.”