Dermie’s demand: stamp out the taunts

HAWTHORN great Dermott Brereton has called on the AFL to “stop this rot” of players taunting their opponents.

Recalled Demon Aaron vandenBerg cost his team a shot at goal on the quartertime siren on Wednesday night when he pushed Adelaide opponent Fischer McAsey while he was on the ground. Demon Jake Melksham’s set shot was immediately revoked by the umpire.

Brereton said the action had “crept in to the game” and that respect for opponents had to be paramount.

“It’s not something that’s been going on for years that we’re clamping down on,” he said on Fox Footy.

“This has crept in to the game. And we can talk about yesteryear, whether (it’s) better, worse, whatever. Players didn’t do it.

“There was a respect for players. You didn’t do stuff like that. This has crept into the game.

“There’s got to be a respect for your opposition that you don’t have to denigrate them to this level. Pay the free kick, and let’s stop this rot.”

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire labelled it an “act of stupidity” and said league football boss Steve Hocking and the competition committee was waging “absolute war on this type of play”.

“The smart alec cheap shot – whether it’s a missed goal or a missed tackle or whatever, and it’s cost Melbourne a shot at goal,” he said.

“This is what the AFL is wanting to stamp out. They think it is just absolutely no good whatsoever. They think this is just a shocking look.

“I just hate the lack of sportsmanship here. Our game’s all about … you don’t dive, you don’t do cheap shots, you go hard at that ball and you play hard football.”

Fellow Fox commentator David King said paying the free kick would stamp it out, and that coaches had a role to play in its eradication.

“The coaches say ‘hey, you just cost us a goal’ … I guarantee you through selection, and those sorts of things, they’ll correct it pretty quickly,” he said.