Port Adelaide have opted to challenge dynamic forward Willie Rioli’s two-game suspension for striking Collingwood defender Nathan Murphy.
The Power will front the tribunal this week in a bid to have Rioli cleared for Saturday night’s crucial Showdown against Adelaide. Rioli’s contact on Murphy, who went to ground in the incident, was graded by the match review officer as intentional high contact with medium impact.
Port coach Ken Hinkley believed Rioli’s actions did not warrant a suspension.
“Nothing in it, surely. I looked at it,” Hinkley said on Saturday night. “I always say (match review) will take care of it and if it needs to be looked at they will. But … I’ve seen a lot worse.”
It comes after Rioli was sent racist messages online following the thrilling two-point loss against the Magpies at the Adelaide Oval. The AFL is investigating the messages, while Port and the Magpies came out strongly to condemn the abuse on Sunday.
Meanwhile, West Coast forward Sam Petrevski-Seton became the latest player to be penalised under the league’s crackdown on dangerous tackles.
He faces a two-game suspension for his sling tackle of Carlton’s Alex Cincotta on Saturday at Marvel Stadium.
Cincotta had to leave the field after the incident but returned and played out the game.
Petrevski-Seton was also banned for one game earlier this season for a dangerous tackle, also on Cincotta.
Hawthorn ruckman Ned Reeves was banned for one game after his tackle on Richmond’s Ivan Soldo.
Lyon hits the roof over Marvel
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was roaring with anger over the controversial decision to leave Marvel Stadium’s roof open before Sunday’s nail-biting win over North Melbourne.
The state of the surface was a major talking point after the game and Lyon was bemused about the decision to not close the roof despite wet weather in the Victorian capital in the lead-up to play.
Marvel had already been used on Friday night for Essendon vs Bulldogs and Saturday when Carlton took on West Coast.
Lyon likened the slippery surface to an “ice skating rink”.
“It (the ball) was like a cake of soap,” he said. “I thought we got treated with contempt, both clubs.
Mattaes Phillipou is tackled by Luke McDonald. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“I’m pretty sure if it was Essendon-Bulldogs on Friday night, they wouldn’t have left the (roof) open all night and all morning.
“We rang the ground manager pre-game, they didn’t know why the roof had been (left open). Seats were wet for fans.”
Kangaroos coach Brett But Ratten, asked separately post-game, said he hadn’t noticed the condition of the ground.
Ratten also would not bite when asked for his personal feelings about the loss, given St Kilda sacked him last year after re-signing him only weeks earlier.
“Really, it’s more about the process for the club,” he said. “It didn’t matter who the team was.”
The match was turnover central, with neither side able to build momentum until St Kilda took control in the final term.
It was a much needed win after the Saints had lost four of their past five games. “It was nerve-wracking … gee, it was frustrating,” Lyon said.
“We showed really good character to dig out in the last quarter. That quarter resembled basically how we were playing in the first seven weeks of the year.”
Lyon lauded Brad Hill’s courage in helping his team stay in the AFL top eight.
HIll went to hospital for scans on his chest after a fearsome bump from North’s Aiden Corr in the first quarter of St Kilda’s crucial 9.13 (69) to 9.6 (60) win.
The Saints were 16 points down at three-quarter time and would have dropped out of the top eight had they lost.
But they rallied with five goals to one in the last quarter, condemning North to their 16th straight loss.
Lyon singled out Hill post-match, after Corr levelled him with his front-on bump. The incident will come under match review, but Lyon said it appeared a fair bump. “I’d prefer him to jump out of the way, rather than lose him, but he stayed on-line and Corr really nailed him – which is all fair and square,” Lyon said.
“I hope our members and everyone involved in the club saw what he stood up for.
“I know there’s been criticism of Brad at St Kilda. All I know is he’s a three-time premiership player (at Hawthorn), stood up in the biggest games and runs himself to death. It’s pretty significant if you go to hospital … (possibly) ribs or lungs.”
Rankine out ‘a few weeks’ as Crows fight for finals spot
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks expects to lose Izak Rankine for “a few weeks” to a hamstring injury but has refused to give up on his side’s AFL finals dream.
The Crows fell agonisingly short against Melbourne on Sunday, left to rue woeful inaccuracy from set shots in the 14.13 (97) to 13.15 (93) loss at the MCG.
Adelaide’s third straight defeat put them in danger of dropping out of the finals race – six points adrift of eighth-placed Geelong – ahead of a huge clash with cross-town rivals Port Adelaide.
“We’re still fighting. We’re still playing in relevant games and we’re confident that we can still win every game we go into,” Nicks said.
“We’ve got five to go and I think that gets us what we’re after (if we win them all).
“That’s a pretty big ask – we go into a Showdown next week against a top-two side – but that’s what we’re about.”
Adelaide lost defender Nick Murray to a knee injury during the third quarter against Melbourne before Rankine went down clutching his left hamstring in the final few minutes.
The livewire forward had kicked three goals, taking his tally to 35 in 18 matches for the Crows this season after a high-profile switch from Gold Coast.
“Izak’s no expert but he’s had a hammy before and he’s talking about it like it’s similar,” Nicks said.
“I think he missed a couple (of matches) last time, so fingers crossed that’s not a major hammy or tendon.
“I’m no expert in that area but I’d say we’d probably lose him for a few weeks.”
Prolific ball-winner Rory Laird could be back to face Port Adelaide, with Nicks to reassess his midfield mix after veteran Matt Crouch’s impressive display against Melbourne.
Crouch had 22 disposals and a team-high seven clearances in his second senior appearance this season.
“He was probably held out slightly because of Rory Laird playing in our side – they’re similar players – but we could look at that going forward,” Nicks said. “But I thought today he played a really important role.”
with AAP
