Richmond Legend Jack Riewoldt Criticises ‘Lenient’ Tristan Xerri Suspension for Incident ‘Comparable to Spitting’

Richmond legend Jack Riewoldt has expressed his belief that the AFL should have imposed a heavier penalty than the three-game suspension handed to North Melbourne star Tristan Xerri. This follows an incident where Xerri wiped blood from his nose onto the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath.

Xerri alleged he was verbally abused during the incident, being called a “weak c-word” and “an effing, flopping c-word” after he admitted guilt to a serious misconduct charge.

The ruckman was responsible for giving away two consecutive 50-metre penalties in the second quarter. As the Bombers mounted an attack, McGrath bumped into Archie Roberts, who had his hands raised in protest regarding Xerri’s fall to the ground.

Afterwards, Xerri found himself alone in the forward 50, and as the ball transitioned from defence to attack, Nick Larkey located him in the goal square, allowing Xerri to contribute a goal for North Melbourne.

Prior to scoring, Xerri faced a barrage of comments from Jaxon Prior at the mark, and after kicking the goal, he promptly headed towards Prior.

McGrath and Ben McKay were the first players on the scene. Following a couple of nose rubs, Xerri placed his hand on McGrath’s face, an act that resulted in considerable outcry and the subsequent three-match suspension.

Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson condemned the behaviour as “disgraceful,” while announcing the suspension details.

Additionally, he remarked that Xerri’s guilty plea and exhibited remorse played a significant role in determining the three-game sanction instead of the four games that the AFL initially sought.

Despite this, Riewoldt contends that the Tribunal should have opted for a stricter penalty for the ruckman.

“In my view, (the suspension) is lenient. I believed five games would be a more fitting starting point for this. Drawing comparisons to other incidents is challenging, but I would categorise this alongside spitting,” Riewoldt stated during a segment on Fox Footy.

“It seems to me, based on public opinion, that five games should be the benchmark.”

In 2002, Collingwood great Nathan Buckley received a one-game suspension for wiping blood on Geelong’s Cameron Ling—this previous incident serves as a comparison.

In 2012, Jeremy Howe, while at Melbourne, received a financial penalty for a similar incident where he wiped blood on Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas shorts.

Xerri’s act of touching McGrath’s face to smear the blood marked a clear distinction from the previous incidents.

GWS’s Toby Greene was fined for spitting towards Richmond’s Anthony Miles in 2015, an act that could have resulted in a suspension had it made direct contact.

Xerri expressed remorse for his actions, clarifying he had meant to demonstrate to Essendon that he was injured as they were accusing him of flopping.

He acknowledged the slurs directed at him before conceding it was a “lapse in judgement.”

“There’s no excuses, mate. It’s a bad look. I had a moment of stupidity. I was trying to defend myself, and I let myself down in that moment. I should have handled it better,” he remarked.

Xerri confirmed he reached out to McGrath the following morning for a “good conversation.”

During the tribunal, AFL counsel Andrew Woods KC requested a sanction of three games, citing Xerri’s actions as a “deliberate disregard for the welfare of another player.”

Xerri’s legal counsel, Justin Graham KC, suggested a two-game sanction, referencing previous cases including Buckley’s and Howe’s, both of which resulted in one-week bans.

After slightly over half an hour of discussions, the tribunal announced a three-match ban, meaning Xerri will not play against Carlton, Brisbane, and Richmond.

Upon exiting the AFL tribunal, Xerri reiterated his apology to McGrath, saying, “Firstly, I want to once again acknowledge my apologies to Andy, whom I spoke to over the phone the following day.”

“I just want to express my apologies to him again. Such behaviour has no place in our game, and I feel immense regret for what occurred.”

The ruckman acknowledged that while aggression is a crucial aspect of his playstyle, “there’s no justification for what I did.”

“As a leader of both the football club and the community, I understand there’s simply no excuse for my actions,” he continued.

“Once again, I’m truly remorseful and sorry to the club, my teammates, and my family who have unfortunately been affected by this situation.

“I will strive to make amends during this period.”