West Coast have been issued a ‘please explain’ by the AFL over an offensive gesture made by second-year star Harley Reid in his side’s loss to Brisbane.
The marquee teenager was a target for the Gabba crowd on Sunday and playfully flashed his middle finger to Lions fans after one of them had offered him a packet of tissues.
Reid escaped a fine from the match review officer, who could have sanctioned the Eagles midfielder on Monday for making an “obscene gesture” under league guidelines.
But officials will instead try to obtain some context around the incident before deciding whether Reid’s actions warrant a penalty.
After his side’s 19-point defeat, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter urged AFL pundits not to “bash the theatre out of the game” by over-criticising Reid.
The 19-year-old struggled in a heavy first-up loss to Gold Coast and finished with 15 disposals, seven tackles and six clearances against the Lions, but also gave away seven free kicks.
(Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
He had an altercation with Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko and showed his middle finger to the crowd during the final quarter after a tangle with Oscar McInerney near the boundary.
“There’s a fair bit of commentary about Harley all the time, so last week was not necessarily different,” McQualter said post-match.
“We try and bash the theatre out of this game, don’t we?
“He’s just having a bit of fun and sometimes that’s good for the game, I think.”
Melbourne veteran Jack Viney was given a $1500 fine for misconduct against North Melbourne ruck Tristan Xerri.
Viney’s penalty can be reduced to $1000 with an early guilty plea.
Scans clear Stewart of major damage
Geelong star Tom Stewart has been cleared of a major knee injury and has a chance to play in the AFL blockbuster against Brisbane Lions in round three.
Stewart was hurt when his knee jammed into the Marvel Stadium surface during the Cats’ surprise seven-point defeat to St Kilda on Saturday night.
He limped off and was taken to the dressing room for treatment, reappearing for a brief period with his right knee strapped before being substituted out of the game.
“In positive news, scans on Monday morning have ruled out any serious injury to Tom’s right knee,” Geelong football manager Andrew Mackie said in a statement.
“With two training sessions remaining before we head to Brisbane, Tom will be closely monitored throughout the week and will be a test to play against the Lions on Saturday night.”
Bailey Smith also has a chance to feature at the Gabba despite being a late withdrawal from the St Kilda clash with a calf injury.
On Saturday night, Cats coach Chris Scott said his boom midfield recruit had been “very close” to playing against the Saints.
“If they’re a chance to play we tend to give them as long as possible and then tend to be conservative unless they’re absolutely right,” Scott said.
“The conservative nature of the decision-making suggests to me that he’ll be right next week.”
Geelong (1-1) head north to play reigning premiers Brisbane (2-0) in a match that was originally set to be the season opener but was rescheduled due to Cyclone Alfred.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Winless Essendon will be without youngsters Elijah Tsatas and Archie Perkins (quad) for their match against Port Adelaide on Thursday night.
Tsatas will require surgery after breaking a finger in the warm-up before gathering a career-high 25 disposals in the Bombers’ 61-point humbling at the hands of Adelaide.
“This was a fairly innocuous one but he was able to play in a game under some duress and still perform well,” Essendon coach Brad Scott said.
“It requires surgery, but we’ve got a bye after this game so we only expect him to miss one game.”
The Bombers will regain defender Jordan Ridley from concussion protocols but gun midfielder Darcy Parish (back) will have to prove his fitness at VFL level.
The Western Bulldogs are set to regain defenders Liam Jones (hamstring) and James O’Donnell (fractured jaw) for their clash with Carlton on Friday night.
But experienced midfielder Adam Treloar has suffered another setback with his calf injury over the weekend, following an interrupted summer program.
The 32-year-old’s return date is unclear.
“Adam has been building the continuity in his training across the last six weeks following an injury interrupted December and January period,” Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said.
“Unfortunately, Adam has suffered some calf symptoms following Friday’s training session.
“This will delay his return-to-play plan, with the club to confirm his new timeline in coming days.”
with AAP
