Richmond great Jack Riewoldt believes Tristan Xerri’s three-match ban for wiping blood on the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath was too “light”, suggesting a much heftier penalty would have been more fitting.
Xerri on Monday night did not totally throw himself at the mercy of the Tribunal for his actions despite his sincere apology, in an incident Chairman Jeff Gleeson described as “disgraceful behaviour”.
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Speaking to Fox Footy’s On The Couch, three-time premiership Tiger in Riewoldt certainly sided with the “disgraceful” sentiment when applying a preferred length on the ban.
“My opinion is, it’s light. I thought five was probably where we would need to start with this. It’s hard to draw comparisons to other incidents, (but) I would have this up there with spitting. I think that’s the best thing you can draw comparisons (to) and the pub test, for me, says five,” Riewoldt said.
Xerri’s actions are close to being unprecedented, however Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley wiped his blood on the guernsey of his opponent Cameron Ling, and not his skin.
This was a note the Tribunal was clear to note in their findings, specifying it was not “of the same disgraceful character as occurred here.”
“It was the first year the rule was in place, and you had to go off when the blood was on your shorts, your guernsey, anywhere. And Lingy had cut me, he got a week for it, and he’s in my face clapping,” Buckley explained to On The Couch.
‘Unacceptable’ Joey on Xerri incident | 01:05
“So, I’m thinking: ‘Well, if I’m gonna go off, you’re gonna go off. So it was a very illogical logical decision by me.’
“Dipper (Robert DiPierdomenico) at the time was in the media, and he said I should get eight weeks. So I understand, it’s got the ‘ick’, hasn’t it? Kicking, spitting, anything to do with the blood, it has an absolute ick factor in terms of — it’s unacceptable.
“It’s not great sportsmanship, and Xerri’s owned it. I had to own it. And I lived with it for the back four of five years of my career, and ever since. You know? I don’t want anyone to wipe blood on people because it comes up.”
Xerri will subsequently miss his club’s winnable matches against Carlton, Brisbane and Richmond before being available for selection.
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