Roar rally with Papa

BRISBANE Roar have rallied around a shattered Avraam Papadopoulos as he waits to hear the extent his punishment for spitting at Sydney FC striker Matt Simon.

Roar managing director David Pourre and a club-appointed lawyer will on Friday accompany Papadopoulos to Sydney, where the former Greek international will face an independent disciplinary and ethics committee.

A six-week ban is expected, but there is a slim chance the suspension could be longer.

The Roar will this week form a defence for Papadopoulos – who was sent off for spitting at Simon in Brisbane’s 3-1 weekend loss to Sydney – but are resigned to being without him for a long stretch.