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Richmond have ruled Marlion Pickett out of selection for their clash with St Kilda after the dual Tigers premiership player faced court in Perth.
The 31-year-old was granted bail on Monday after appearing on 12 charges including four counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of stealing and three counts of criminal damage.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said Pickett wanted to play against the Saints at the MCG on Saturday night but the club decided to rule him out.
However, the player is expected to travel to Queensland to face the Brisbane Lions in the Tigers’ round -16 match after Richmond’s bye.
Richmond Tigers star Marlion Pickett and his manager Anthony Van Der Wielen walk out from the Perth Magistrates Court. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
“Marlion won’t be available to play this week,” Gale said. “It’s a decision we made in his best interest, in his welfare and also of the club. We think it’s important for Marlon to be with his family.
“But having said that, he’ll prepare with the team, he’ll train and he will keep turning up and engaging and turning up to work. We fully expect him to play against Brisbane in two weeks’ time.”
Pickett has played 70 games for the Tigers, having famously made his AFL debut in their 2019 premiership triumph.
St Kilda forward Dan Butler has had his controversial ban for a dangerous tackle on Sydney’s Nick Blakey thrown out by the AFL tribunal.
But it was a less successful night for Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell, who was slapped with a three-game ban for a bump that left Fremantle winger James Aish concussed.
Butler is now free to face his former club Richmond on Saturday, the tribunal finding he hadn’t breached his duty of care in his run-down tackle of Blakey last Thursday night.
The Saints livewire told the tribunal he’d tried to roll with the tackle so as not to give away a push in the back free kick and argued he’d had no choice but to tackle as “I don’t want to get dropped”.
His lawyer said there was no alternative but to tackle and pointed out Butler had released Blakey’s arms before he made contact with the ground so he could brace his fall.
Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson agreed and his panel dismissed the charge, finding Butler’s momentum made some contact with the ground inevitable.
“He had dropped to the side, had no real power from the commencement of the tackle … he did not drive Blakey to the ground with his arms,” he said.
“Rather, he fell to the ground with Blakey as a result of the momentum of the tackle … he released Blakey’s defensive arm.”
AFL counsel Sally Flynn had submitted there were two motions in his tackle – pinning the arms, then driving Blakey to the ground, but Gleeson said the tribunal panel did not agree.
Nick Blakey is tackled by Dan Butler. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )
Meanwhile, Richmond’s Mansell is out for three weeks after the tribunal found he’d bumped Aish without contesting the football despite his pleas to the contrary.
Mansell argued his eyes were on the football the whole time and he’d made a last-minute decision to brace for impact once he knew Aish would win the loose ball.
He said it wasn’t a bump and he couldn’t predict where the ball would bounce.
AFL counsel Lisa Hannon said Mansell had “effectively ran through” Aish and his “turn-and-tuck” body motion meant he was no longer contesting the football, an assertion the tribunal agreed with.
The tribunal’s decision to free Butler is likely to be met with positivity from the wider AFL community.
Before the hearing Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said he’d be “horrified” if Butler was suspended for the tackle, among a sea of other criticism for the ban.
Later on Tuesday night, Hawthorn captain James Sicily appeared on a rough conduct charge for a dangerous tackle that concussed Brisbane Lions gun Hugh McCluggage.
He was also found guilty and will miss three matches.
Carlton forward Harry McKay has criticised a “minority” of the club’s supporters who hurled abuse as Blues players walked off the MCG.
Videos emerged on social media of furious Carlton fans screaming vicious obscenities at players headed to the rooms after the Blues’ 34-point defeat – their sixth-in-a-row – on Sunday night.
Pressure has piled on Carlton and coach Michael Voss as a once-promising season with dreams of a drought-breaking finals appearance has turned ugly.
McKay admitted players “definitely” hear and take in the abuse coming their way.
“I understand it’s a minority of supporters; a lot of our fans have been fantastic throughout this whole year and the passion and energy they bring to games,” McKay, who will play his 100th game this weekend, said on Tuesday.
“I think the minority in situations like that it’s more disappointing for kids and families.
“You want to create an environment that’s safe; everyone likes to come to the footy so seeing the minority probably do that is disappointing.
Harry McKay of the Blues celebrates a goal. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“We want to create games at Carlton that everyone feels comfortable and safe coming to so I want to thank the majority for doing that, but it’s disappointing that a few jeopardise that.”
McKay believed supporters taking their frustrations out and screaming at players could have an even further detrimental effect to a team struggling to search for their best.
“When you’re walking off I don’t think it helps the greater cause if you hear abuse and everything when you walk in off, but I guess it’s part of being a professional athlete,” he said.
“There’s always going to be some things said over the fence.
“I think it’s more about the environment that we’re creating for the kids and families.
“We’re (the players) big enough and ugly enough to deal with some things said over the fence.”
Carlton sit 15th on the ladder ahead of a vital clash with in-form Gold Coast at the MCG on Sunday.
The Blues had a bonding session at veteran midfielder Ed Curnow’s property in Torquay last week as they search for answers to try and recapture their form from early in the 2022 season.
“In my eight years (at Carlton) I think this is the closest and most united the group’s been,” McKay said.
“Obviously when on-field success isn’t necessarily coming, it’s really important to stay united and connected.
“I think in footy and in life, through your hardest times or your despair you become connected as a group and hopefully you can bounce out of that stronger and that’s definitely the belief as a group that although it sucks at the moment, we’re going to be better for it.”
Mention the name Jack Viney and you won’t be able to wipe the smile off Simon Goodwin’s face.
The Melbourne coach’s love for his tough midfielder should come as no surprise, given the latter’s inspirational form.
Viney was a dominant figure in the Demons’ four-point defeat of Collingwood, claiming best afield honours in the King’s Birthday blockbuster in front of more than 83,000 fans.
“I can’t stop smiling when we talk about Jack. He’s just a warrior,” Goodwin said. “He wears his heart on his sleeve, he loves his footy club and he plays like that all the time.
“To see him get the reward externally I think is really important for him.”
Viney stepped up again in the absence of injured teammate Clayton Oliver – and with Christian Petracca below his best – tallying 32 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 11 tackles, nine clearances and a goal against the Magpies.
And, fittingly, the 184-game veteran won the crucial last centre clearance to seal the Demons’ victory, which improved their record to 9-4 and put them within striking distance of the top two.
“That’s what he does,” Goodwin said. “When the game’s there and willing and it’s contest, and it was pretty scrappy that last 30 seconds, once again he stood up when he needed to.”
In trademark fashion, Viney soldiered on despite hurting his shoulder in a third-quarter collision with Beau McCreery.
Goodwin momentarily thought his star man was done for the game but need not have worried.
“We were just about to pull the sub, then he came off, so that put a bit of a spanner in the works,” Goodwin said.
“Within a minute he said, ‘I’m right to go, coach. Get me back out there.’ So that was pleasing.”
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