Geelong defender Matthew Scarlett faces a certain suspension after punching Fremantle antagonist Hayden Ballantyne in the Dockers’ thrilling four-point AFL win at Patersons Stadium on Saturday night.
A frustrated Scarlett clocked Ballantyne on the chin with a left hook 10 minutes into the third quarter after a night in which the Dockers goalsneak continually infuriated Geelong players.
Although the glancing punch only momentarily stunned Ballantyne, Scarlett is almost certain to be handed a multi-week suspension by the AFL’s match review panel.
Ballantyne will also come under scrutiny for his off-the-ball strike on Paul Chapman, which left the Geelong midfielder on his haunches and throwing up.
Chapman recovered and played out the match, but the Dockers prevailed 16.9 (105) to 15.11 (101) courtesy of two late goals to skipper Matthew Pavlich.
Ballantyne was a constant menace throughout the match, with his tit-for-tat battle with Steve Johnson preceding Scarlett’s punch.
Scarlett vented his anger at Ballantyne’s tactics to Pavlich at quarter time.
But the Geelong veteran took action into his own hands in the third quarter when Ballantyne got into his face following a goal to Tendai Mzungu.
Ballantyne got a goal from the resultant free kick, and finished the match with 20 possessions and two goals.
Dockers midfielder Nat Fyfe, defender Michael Johnson and ruckman Aaron Sandilands were crucial in the win, while Geelong were well served by forward Tom Hawkins (four goals), skipper Joel Selwood and James Bartel (three goals).
The match also featured several big hits, with Johnson cleaned up by Clancee Pearce and Mathew Stokes left dazed following a big hit from Zac Dawson.
Fremantle started life under new coach Ross Lyon in brilliant fashion, booting the opening five goals of the match to race out to a 30-0 lead inside 14 minutes.
But Geelong, fielding 17 of last year’s 22 premiership stars, worked their way back into the contest, with strong work from James Podsiadly and Hawkins up forward giving the visitors a five-point lead by half-time.
In a topsy-turvy final quarter, the lead changed hands four times before Pavlich’s heroics at the death.
Davo
Guest
Michael Jordan has been criticised for making games personal. The press has said he would make close friends with players like Charles Barkley and then throw verbal sprays during games to put his "mates" off. Have you seen the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan go one on one with a lesser player. "You can't guard me." "Not in my house." "What are you going to do?" It goes past verbal annoyance. When hand-checking was commonplace, MJ had a killer move. He'd place his foot on the opponents when the ref wasn't watching -- make the defender virtually immobile. Easy score. However in reality, it's all about degrees of violence. The NFL has just taken a real stance against bounties to injure players. Sean Payton, the head coach, has been suspended for an entire season. That sort of violence exists today in the AFL. The old hip and shoulder is still revered -- we still love to see the massive bumps. So what's wrong with being a pest especially when it doesn't lead to injury? What's wrong with a right hook in the AFL? That's a whole different story.
Football Fan
Guest
Touche Ian. I must say I giggled when I read that... That brought back some memories.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Football Fan, Speaking of dirty, how could I forget the entire 1989-1990 Detroit Pistons side ?
Football Fan
Guest
Respectfully Ian - Finnegan's not in the class of Ballantyne, Gallen, Steve Baker, Tony Liberatore and co. His history is cheap shots or 'flagrant fouls' every so often, that to me is different from constant niggle all game long, leaning your forehead onto a guy's chin, elbowing, punching and all that goes with it that is specifically done to draw a reaction. I understand that the games themselves are played differently but my point is that over in the states, if Finnegan is seen to be hurting his team he will be gone instantly, $50 million contract or not. In Australia, these guys and this sort of garbage play is endorsed and more often than not rewarded.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Football Fan, Actually, no. Cortland Finnegan is a name that comes to mind as an undersized but dirty NFLplayer. He used to be a cornerback for Tennesee - 7th round draft pick out of a small school. Google various combinations of Cortland Finnegan and dirty, cheap and so on - and as an undersized cornerback, know he just signed for St Louis at 5 years $50m, which is quarterback or defensive end money.
Football Fan
Guest
It's interesting to me that behaviour like that shown by Ballantyne (and Bird, Gallen, etc...) is actively encouraged and lauded in Australia as being a 'pest' that 'anyone would love to have in their team'... If a player behaved like that in the NFL, NBA, Magners League, you name it - they'd be run out of town in a heartbeat.
johno
Guest
Ballantyne is not a lesser footballer by any stretch of the imagination. He is annoying because he's not going to sit there and let another player try and shove him around. He and Chapman were having a crack at each other and because of this the other Geelong players thought they'd take Ballantyne to task over it. Well that cost Geelong the game. Ballantyne threw them off their game, suckered a goal out of them and has made them look a bit stupid in the process. Great to see Pav come in and fly the flag for Freo after Scarletts left hook.
stabpass
Guest
Milne is apparently very upset that Ballantyne has now become the most hated jockey size pest in football, it is a title he has worn with honour for several years.
Gordon Smith
Guest
Ross Lyon has gone from Milne to Ballantyne - I bet he loves them both.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
My Geelong supporting missus agrees wildly with you on that, haha
Michael
Guest
Get over it fellas. Ballantyne is a player that any team would want. Sorry c walker but he never spat in anyones face, Scarlett got sucked in hook line and sinker, and has let his team down as he will rightfully get suspended for a few games.
BigAl
Guest
The best way to deal with Ballantyne under current AFL rules would be grab him two hands by the front of his jumper and give him a good case of shaken baby syndrome.
c walker
Guest
face to face totally antagonistic actions(AS PER BALLANTYNE)....should be reportable. they have a blood rule...so what is the diff. if an offending player is spraying saliva etc into the face and eyes of another player??.it's not necessary...it's not playing 'football'...and that's what ballantyne is there for...right? it is a confronting outdated 'tactic' used by obviously lesser footballers against opponents. it serves no valid or sportsman like purpose...so outlaw it!!!. then players of scarletts stature will not have to be subjected to what's his name's???crap. now we wont see scarlett playing for 2-3 weeks...and that is 'robbing' the game of champions who people want to see play week in week out...but the sucker from freo will be there next week...up to his crap again...and he IS part of the problem...so give him part of the suspension. bomber supporter.
GrantS
Guest
Ballantyne would be the most annoying player in the league but I'm still surprised that a player of Scarletts' experience could get sucked into throwing a punch. If he was going to get himself suspended he should have knocked the antagonistic little Docker out. Still, this was another great game and I now need to re-appraise my team standings (I didn't have Freo in the top eight).
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Mediaweek@MediaweekAUS Sat FTA TV #AFL 708k (Syd 36k Mel 340k Bri 37k Ade 129k Per 166k) Pre-game 317k Post-game 554k #BeforeTheGame 164k (+20k ONE) Note: Adelaide and Brisbane took Gold Coast v Adelaide