Players slapped on wrist over touching
MELBOURNE players Christian Petracca and Jayden Hunt have been counselled over touching each other’s bottoms in a team huddle only weeks after the AFL’S Richmond groping scandal.
The pair apologised and said it was inappropriate after the Demons spoke to them about the action as the threequarter time huddle broke up in the victory over Essendon.
As Goodwin addressed the team Hunt grabbed Petracca’s bottom and then Petracca returned the favour in a monumentally stupid gesture given the context of Richmond’s actions involving Mabior Chol.
The players had multiple cameras trained on them and were at the back of the group so were easily spotted.
Melbourne said yesterday it had “addressed the issue with both players, who have apologised and assured that such behaviour will not occur again”.
Demons captain Max Gawn said the players knew they had acted inappropriately.
“As AFL players, we are role models and have a responsibility to showcase the right behaviours to the wider AFL community,” he said.
“Christian and Jayden know that this was an inappropriate act, which is not in line with our expectations, or that of the competition.
“As a playing group, we understand and respect the example we need to be setting.”
The AFL has suggested it will beef-up its respect and responsibility code after Richmond’s Nick Vlastuin and Jayden Short were caught touching Chol’s privates during the team song.